Vereor Ipsum
by Blue Lone Wolf 2574
Summary: What if Billy didn't join the Young Avengers or meet the Scarlet Witch? Just how different will things be now that he's in the picture? And where the hell is Tommy? Can Teddy get Billy up to speed in time, before things go downhill? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: To Be Found Again

Hey there readers! Blue Wolf here and I'm making my long overdue debut onto the comic section scene here on Fanfiction. Yeah I know, I've got a lot to catch up on, but the ideas just keep coming. But don't worry, I won't stray too far from the original story line. Much. Either way, I've got high hopes that you readers out there'll give me some real positive responses. So without further delay: the disclaimer! I don't own '_Young Avengers_' in any shape or form, but if I had a poster of Billy and Teddy, I think I'll die happy.

"Iii" = speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 1: To Be Found Again

Billy Kaplan was always sure it was best to be alone. For all he knew, it was the most he deserved a lot of the time. One of the reasons why he'd left home before his adoptive parents could notice, much less stop him. He didn't want to hurt them, really, but the way he was…. He felt he was a true danger to them, his twin brothers, and possibly to himself. Good reason why he'd also stopped going to school. The last thing he needed was to be snagged by the cops and dragged back home. Not that he had wanted to go back there anyway. He had hardly any friends and the only people who really noticed him were the bullies who'd come and take away his lunch money, or even beat him up for their amusement. The last time he'd fought back, it'd been with the powers he didn't know he had, and all because he had tried to keep another kid from getting hurt by the same bully.

Luckily he'd gotten away scot free that time. But he could only fear the worst about the next time. Leaving everything behind was the only logical thing his mind could come up with, and he knew a lot of things well enough to say he could get by on his own. But the most he did was practice. He practiced his chants and how effective they were when he actually tried, making things move and most of all: flying. That discovery came to be really handy when it came to getting away from cops who had seen his missing person's flyer, or from huge crowds of people in general. So far, as long as he maneuvered away from aircraft and birds, he was, in his mind, completely invisible. Or that's what he believed, until tonight that is.

He'd been hanging around the Avenger mansion like he usually did when he was seriously bored, and needed a place to think about what to do next. What he hadn't expected was for people to be there. Not just a few, but a whole bunch which was strange since barely anyone came to the grounds of the estate anymore. The public just seemed to respectfully leave it be. But tonight was different. He'd spent so long avoiding people that it was hard for him to believe that there would be any in one of his favorite haunts. And the first thing he felt was panic. No way he'd been found. He didn't want to be found, not by anyone, for any reason. For someone to come here and possibly discover him was really, really bad. He didn't want to be found. He didn't want to be seen, and he definitely didn't want to be known. The only thing left to do was somehow get away before anyone noticed him there.

He'd always gone over the fence to get in, or through it if he felt he needed to practice his skills, but now he really had to choose. For the most part, he'd never truly needed to use stealth except for when he needed to get past a bunch of cops gathered on a corner doing he didn't care what. _Now if only I could get back there without_—

_**Crack!**_

Blood ran cold in his veins as a dry twig under his worn sneaker broke in two, echoing over the silence of the estate grounds loud enough to make the group of people in the distance suddenly grow still and quiet. His breath froze in his lungs, fear and instinct kicking in, his mind screaming at him to run like hell away from the strangers he couldn't even see. Panic almost set in when nothing happened for about half a second, but kicked in anyway when a few of them started moving towards him. Despite the moon in the night sky, Billy knew that they'd see him sooner or later. So without so much as another thought, throwing stealth and caution the wind, but running like he was the wind. He'd almost made it to the fence, and freedom, when something large and metallic suddenly came out of the sky and landed in his path. Upon immediate inspection, the person now before him was undoubtedly Iron Man. And was soon accompanied with Captain America and a few others he'd never seen before, but the pregnant woman following close behind did seem familiar.

_Focus Billy, focus before things go bad._ He thought as he straightened his back and made his stance a little wider. Ignoring his usual fan antics and sticking to reality, Billy knew he was in trouble. That and because he was now surrounded by a whole screw of people. And they all looked really curious about him. The ones he'd never seen before looked around his age, if not a little older. There were two girls, one raven, and the other blonde. The raven haired girl was dressed in dark purple and had various weapons strapped to her back and hips. The blonde was in red and black, and didn't have any weapons whatsoever. But that wasn't enough to distract him from the three remaining members, all of whom were obviously male.

He had to assess them to, or things would get bad for him. Even he knew that sometimes women were stronger than men. But that didn't mean that men weren't dangerous. What he saw however, surprised him: one was Caucasian, like him and seemed to be dressed like Iron Man; another was obviously African American and his attire looked like that of the Captain's old sidekick Bucky. But the last one was very strange. The last guy was green, had lots of ear piercings and had blonde hair instead of black like the Hulk did. Billy knew that this was no time to be overly curious about the people he was being forced to fend off.

Breathing was starting to become difficult, mostly because he felt cornered, and he wasn't enjoying it. Blue lightning sparked from his hands, an action he never understood why it came to work by itself. Thankfully it was enough to convince his supposed captors what he was capable of, instantly making them wary of him. Something he'd always expected and literally feared people would do. Something he hoped his adoptive parents wouldn't show him if he ever told them the truth. And so far, it was happening anyway.

When one of the unfamiliar people, the blonde girl in the red and black spandex suit, tried to move forward from his far right, his reaction was immediate. Almost without thinking, he lifted an arm, took aim, and let a powerful burst of electric energy fly. It flew with deadly accuracy, even if he purposefully missed her by a few inches.

"S-stay back! Don't make me hurt you!" he called out, almost more to himself than the people surrounding him.

Captain America's eyes furrowed in concern but didn't stop reached for the shield he had hanging off his back. "No one wants to hurt anyone. If you'll let us, we just want to talk."

Though the man's tone was soothing, tone and words weren't enough to convince him that he wasn't a danger. A hazard to others and those he cared for. He simply shook his head, practically screaming to himself that the words were a lie. As much as he respected the man, he couldn't bring himself to believe him. "No, I can't …. No! Stay away from me!"

Iron Man's metallic voice was a good distraction, bringing Billy's light brown eyes to rest on the gold and red armored man. "Calm down. There's no need to get anxious over all this. All we want to do is talk."

Fear was really starting to take over now. The fear of being too-well known, of being considered unfit to be among others and thus a danger to all around him. For all he knew, the next to step would be solitary confinement. "I'm not going with anyone, for any reason. So stay away alright?"

"Take it easy will you? We're not going to hurt you! So if you'd just—" the bald black kid tried to say before Billy finally cut him off.

"NO!" thought didn't seem necessary anymore, not when he was surrounded by strangers who were likely to hurt him. But he knew that if he didn't want anyone to die, he had to try and keep his attacks at a low charge. Forcing himself to concentrate, Billy knew the only way out was to knock them all down. And in a few seconds, he did. A ring of blue light exploded from his center, quickly expanding and hitting all of his masked foes in one fell swoop. Much to his relief, he avoided hitting the pregnant woman entirely.

But little did he know that not all of them were down for the count. The green guy was back up again and ready for more. Only when he got up, he didn't come charging at him like Billy expected him to. Instead, he just stood his ground, seeming to stare at him with blue eyes like he'd never seen before. Much to Billy's surprise, the teen in front of him began to change, becoming smaller in stature while changing color, he saw now that the guy before him was just as human as he was. _But it's just another lie right? It could be a lie. A trick of some sort meant to throw me off somehow. That has to be it, it can't be anything else._

He knew he couldn't back down. Not now when he had the advantage. From what he could tell from the little demo he was just given, the guy in front of him could only change shape and not much else. Strength was probably a factor, but everything else was out the window. He had to win. He had to get away. He had to disappear to avoid causing more damage he'd already unleashed by now. All he needed was time to get a chant going. Until then, holding off this new opponent was going to be a true challenge.

--_**Different P.O.V**_—

The night had been pretty peaceful, if you could call it that. Already he and Patriot had to deal with a drug bust gone wrong, with Iron Lad in tow to help stop the car and tie up the dealers before heading to the mansion. Once there, they met up with Kate and Cassie, otherwise known as Hawkeye and Stature. They'd had another kid with them for a while before he bailed: Tommy Shepherd, thin but fairly muscular with oddly white hair. Kate got him a costume and everything, including a nickname: Speed. And he was fast, almost way too fast for anyone to catch. But he'd left for some reason or other. Not that he'd told them about what it might've been. Like always, he'd come looking like his slightly larger, oddly green self, dressed in black pants and a matching sleeveless top. Breathing in the cool night, he had a feeling that tonight would be much more eventful than originally planned.

As proven by the sudden arrival of Captain America and Iron Man, as well as the obviously pregnant Jessica Jones. Thus bringing any of their 'unofficial' plans of crime fighting to a screeching halt. Iron Lad tried to explain things since he was the one who'd found them all to begin with, with some help from Vision's fail safe program. But since Patriot was being stubborn, again, it was proving difficult to convince the older heroes that their union was just an effort to bring crime back under control. While Patriot angrily snapped at the Captain, something further out into the grounds made a loud snapping noise, making Theodore Altman raise an arm and effectively getting their attention. Apparently they'd somehow heard it too. Someone else was on the grounds, and it wasn't one of them.

Like always, Iron Lad was quick to respond, turning his head to face Captain America in search of suggestions. "Should we check it out? Maybe it was just some animal."

The Captain just stared into the dark of the night, blue eyes practically glaring at the trees a good distance away. "No. Animals can't get over a six foot fence. That's no animal, it's a person."

"Any idea who it is?" Patriot inquired to Iron Lad, sounding a little irritated.

But the boy in question just shook his head at his teammate. "Not from this distance. I might be able to pull up a file from Vision's database if we get a little closer."

Clearly a little annoyed, Iron Man wasted no time in taking the initiative. "Alright then. Let's try this without spooking whoever it is. Got it?"

The teens nodded, following the Captain's lead as they calmly made their way towards the brush along the side of the fallen mansion, hoping that the moon wasn't giving away their intentions. Or so they thought when they suddenly heard the sound of scurried footsteps. Before anyone could say anything, Iron Man was already in the air to land in the intruder's way. What they saw was something not even he expected: it was Tommy, but yet it wasn't. The guy didn't have a costume on, and his hair and eyes were the wrong colors. His hair was black and his eyes a light shade of brown. And instead of confidence, there was uncertainty and fear in those eyes, emotions that for some reason pulled strings in his heart.

_Who is that if it's not Tommy? And why is he here? Something weird's going on here. No way Tommy would come back and not tell us earlier. Is this guy related to Tommy somehow? But if that's true… then who is he?_ Teddy couldn't help but think as they quickly surrounded the boy, the rest of his team showing their amazement when they caught sight of his face. If only the moment of recognition wasn't broken by the teen's darting eyes and bursts of blue lightning from his hands. Whoever this kid was, he was really packing. And by the look of it, none of them really wanted to get hit.

As emphasized when Cassie tried to close the gap a little, her stance suggesting she was going to try and jump the guy. Either he saw her or sensed her, it didn't matter since a few more powerful bolts rushed to his right hand as he raised it a little and immediately fired. Cassie jumped a little to avoid the projectile, but found that the boy's aim was at the ground instead. It was just a warning shot.

"S-stay back! Don't make me hurt you!" they heard him say above the sizzle of scorched earth and smoldering grass. More evidence that the guy was on edge. Attacking him wasn't going to help any. But it was possible that talking might.

Wary of what the kid might do, the Captain kept a hand on the edge of his shield, still hanging from his back as he spoke in the calmest voice he could muster. "No one wants to hurt anyone. If you'll let us, we just want to talk."

The words should've worked, but they didn't. Instead all they did was make the teen even more anxious than before. Apparently the smooth talking wasn't all that smooth. As Iron Man tried his hand at it, Iron Lad spoke softly to them. "The file says he's Billy Kaplan, but what he can do isn't very specific. Something about lightning, and possibly magic. We should be careful about this guy."

"Yeah but why does he look like Tommy—"

A voice filled to the rim with panic cut the conversation short. It was the kid they now knew as Billy, and he didn't look very convinced of anything. "I'm not going with anyone, for any reason. So stay away alright?"

Unfortunately, Patriot wasn't really in the mood for being understanding or sentimental about whatever was wrong with the teen before them. But that didn't stop him from trying to step forward as he spoke. "Take it easy will you? We're not going to hurt you! So if you'd just—"

"NO!" was all they heard the teen say before a shockwave of blue light erupted and sent them all flying like rag dolls into the brush. Jessica, who'd been a little behind, managed to hide behind a tree to avoid getting hit by the blast of powerful energy. Though his friends were much more easily effected by this assault, Teddy found that he wasn't that off balance. Instead it felt like he'd just been pushed over rather than knocked down and out for the count, something that was probably the teen's intention to begin with. Getting up, he turned his eyes back towards the teen who he knew for certain wasn't Tommy. Tommy was capable of traveling at high speeds… and making things explode. Not send lightning and blue light everywhere.

Upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but notice that the brown eyes staring back at him were still filling with mixed emotions of fear and confusion. It took Teddy a few simple seconds to understand just what was really going on._ He's still new to all this. If that's true, just how long has he been suffering like this? What happened where his powers suddenly acted up? Could it be that he--?_

Teddy dared not think of the possibility. But it was still a fair reason why the other teen was acting so paranoid. He was scared of rejection, the pain others cause when faced with something that they either disapprove of or don't understand. Something he'd feared himself but managed to fight off. But not this kid. He was in the dark about his abilities and himself. And he needed help. Help that Teddy was willing to give. _First things first._

Letting out a relaxing breath, Teddy allowed his Hulk-like appearance to fall away, rough green revealing pink human skin and a natural human form to accompany it. The teen before him was responding to super power, if so, the solution lay in mind power. Getting through to the teen before him without resorting to violence was the challenge now. Billy looked ready to fight and then possibly run away, the brown eyes of fear and uncertainly were now swimming in caution. The playing field was truly level now, and Teddy knew he had to win. Or things were going to get difficult. Not moving from where he stood, the blonde teen spoke to where the only the other could truly hear him.

"Just hear me out okay? If you want to run, that's okay by me. But you'll just be running away from the few people who can help you? Got me?"

The raven haired boy said nothing to this, uncertainty coming back strong, while his eyes displayed the inner struggle that raged within. Teddy gave it a minute or so to sink in before he kept going. "I'm not going to hurt you but I am going to come a little closer. Is that okay?"

As he suspected, his words failed to rectify the situation as the teen once again let fear rule over his mindset. "N-no! Stay away! I don't want to hurt anyone… not again!"

"That's okay, it's all good." Teddy said quickly, holding up his hands in visual surrender, this move calming the teen if by only a little. "I can stay here if that's what it takes. We'll just talk. That's still allowed right?"

Billy said suddenly, eyes averted, face now oddly unreadable. "I want to leave."

"So we gathered but that's not—"

"I want to leave, I want to leave, I want to leave, IwanttoleaveIwanttoleaveIwant—"

Teddy didn't realize it until it was almost too late, until the teen's eyes started glowing light blue, his voice seeming to boom with power. He didn't bother thinking, all he did was run forward, quickly reaching forward as an orb of light began to appear around the teen in question as the chant continued to echo in the night air. The blonde teen managed to grab hold of the raven haired boy's shoulder when, in a burst of energy and light, they both vanished. Leaving behind stunned heroes and polarized night air crackling with the remnants of magical power and its effects.

--_**Somewhere Across Town**_—

Warm air was instantly swept away by a cool wind, shaking bushes and trees to break the silence of the night. Just by looking around Teddy could see that he wasn't where he'd been less than a minute before. But there he was, holding onto a teen he'd just met, in the middle of what looked like Central Park. This was confirmed by the tall buildings standing far in the distance, many windows glowing a warm yellow or white to signify that someone was still present. High above the moon shone brightly, bringing an eerie glow to the terrain. But his amazement was cut short by the teen he had firm hold on, the raven haired boy falling limply to the cool grass at their feet, making Teddy reach out his other arm to catch him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, blue eyes burning with hundreds of questions as he gently steadied Billy without being too touchy feely about it. The last thing he wanted was for the teen to freak out again. Much less disappear as he was sure they had.

But Billy just nodded, rubbing his forehead, looking a little tired all of a sudden. "Y-yeah, I just… I've just never done that with another person before."

_I can imagine._ Teddy thought but dared not voice it as he helped the other boy sit down before sitting down himself. The next few minutes passed in silence, the cool air seeming to help calm Billy down the best. That or because there weren't any people around. But Teddy wasn't willing to guess at this point. His job now was to figure out how to get back to the others, and hopefully have Billy with him when he did. _Wait… what do I mean by that? I can't be thinking like this now. No way he feels that way too. Or does he? Dammit Teddy! Save it for later!_

Deciding it was high time to break the silence, Teddy knew he had to start with the basics if things were going to go smoothly. "My name's Theodore Altman. But a lot of people just call me Teddy. And you are?"

The teen hesitated, but spoke anyway. "William Kaplan. My family just calls me Billy."

"Do they know where you are right now?" he asked in honest curiosity.

"Do yours?"

Teddy couldn't help but chuckle at the quip. "That I'm visiting friends. And yours?"

Brown eyes lowered to the ground, a sad expression appearing on Billy's face. "Doesn't matter, probably better off that I'm not around."

The blonde instantly frowned at this. Only half a minute into the conversation and already he'd found the sore spot. Just how convinced was this kid anyway? "Are you sure that's even true?"

"How can it not be? I'm adopted, and they have two real sons to replace me with. My presence probably doesn't make a hell of a difference." He said, his tone making it obvious just how dubious he was.

"That doesn't mean that they don't love you. I'm adopted too but that doesn't stop me from loving my mom. She's pretty much the only family I have, other than the Avengers that is. Believing otherwise, well, that's just silly."

"So I'm stupid now?" the eyes were back, this time filled with anger. And questions.

Teddy simply chuckled, waving his hands in surrender. "Far from it. You're just assuming the worst when there's no need to assume much of anything. I went through the same thing but it wasn't enough to stop me from running away from my mom. She needs me just as much as I need her. And I'm sure your family needs you too."

"How can you be so sure? I don't even know you." Billy was looking away again.

Except the words he heard next made him turn back towards the blonde as he spoke in the constantly kind voice. "You know I'm Teddy Altman, and I know that you're Billy Kaplan. Everything else I guess we can go over when you're ready. Okay?"

He didn't know if it was his expression or the mere fact that they were staring at each other, but he could swear that he saw a slight blush come onto the raven haired teen's face. Just seeing the boy blush, even if it was hardly visible, made him not want to hold back anymore. And certainly not tonight. Before he could even try to stop himself, he'd leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss right onto Billy's forehead. Even if the contact was brief, he felt a small jolt of electricity, the feel of it almost making him laugh. What he hadn't expected was, as he was pulling away that Billy would move forward, and give him a full blown kiss on the lips.

This kiss was even more shocking, in the literal sense, than the first kiss had been. And this time, it was Teddy's turn to be surprised. He must've looked dazed because when Billy finally pulled back he immediately looked away, as if embarrassed. Practically floored by the suddenness of the kiss, Teddy was speechless. Not sure what to say, he reached forward and gently made Billy turn back towards him and couldn't help smiling: Billy was officially as red as a ripe tomato and was refusing to meet his eyes. And this was something he wouldn't have. Using both hands this time, he cupped the boy's face until the brown eyes he was coming to adore looked into his.

"Were you challenging me just now?" he said in a calm whisper, the smile seeming to change to a grin as the red started to change shades. It was the cutest sight he'd seen in his entire life, and he wasn't about to let it go. But as Billy's mouth opened to say something, a rumble in the distance destroyed the moment, making both boys turn their attention back to reality. They both quickly stood up, searching the horizon for the source of the noise. Within mere seconds, Teddy found it.

"There! Back at the manor! We have to get back!" he exclaimed, pointed in the direction of a large cloud of smoke, coming right from the direction of the Avenger estates. No amount of running would get them there fast enough, hence the reason why he turned back to Billy. "Can you do what you did before?"

"I can try. Just give me a second." Without any more prompting, Billy's eyes began to glow the telltale blue as he began to quickly began chanting the necessary words over and over again. "Iwanttogotothemanoriwantogotothemanoriwant—"

The mysterious orb of light from before began to reappear, this time Billy grabbed hold of Teddy before Central Park vanished right before their eyes. As the light quickly cleared, the scene was revealed to be the Avengers' manor grounds, only with a few changes. Teddy's team as well as Captain America and Iron Man were up and about, except against a large man, who both boys instantly recognized as the Growing Man. And he had only one thing to say:

"Where's the master? Where is he? Where's the master?"

"Who is he talking about? Am I missing something here?" Billy had to ask, turning to Teddy in his confusion, who had already changed into his Hulk-like self.

"I'll explain later." Billy took this in stride, nodding in understanding that the time for talking was long gone. He had to shape up, and fast.

Off to the side, Captain America was calling out above the giant man's constant questioning. "whatever you do, don't—"

Too late. Teddy was already more than halfway there, his right fist coming down on the large man's chin in a violent right hook. All in a single leap created from a pocket of pure adrenaline and instinctive power.

"—hit him." Cap managed to say as the giant fell to the ground.

Teddy simply stood where he'd landed, appearing sheepish. "Whoops."

"The more you hit him, the more he grows." The Captain said in exasperation. But oddly enough, the big behemoth wasn't even twitching. Immediately sending up all sorts of red flags in their heads. Teddy simply stayed in place, looking doubtful.

"I don't know sir. His growth seems… stunted." He said as Billy ran over to stand next to the green teenager, his expression unreadable. Something was off about all this, and he definitely didn't like it. And he wasn't about to let the giant monstrosity get up for round two.

Forced to watch in amazement, a few in horror, the three Avengers and teens alike watched as Growing Man was absorbed by blinding blue light, leaving nothing but a crater where his large form had just been. Teddy had almost not heard Billy's tell-tale murmurs until he was halfway through, and managed to catch the boy before he hit the ground in a dead faint. Just by looking he knew Billy wouldn't be up for a while. The poor guy was out cold.

The rest of the team gathered, all equally curious about what'd just happened to their latest opponent. Upon seeing that the boy in question wasn't going to be very responsive, they resolved to pack it in for the night, Teddy quickly volunteering to take their new-found friend home with him. "It's best that someone who understands him is on call." He reasoned, this logic proving good enough to swallow.

Gazing at them all with an authoritative stare, Captain America decided then to make himself very clear. "We'll be discussing all of this later. In the meantime, go home and get some rest. I doubt whatever Billy did will hold off the Growing Man for long. Until then, no crime fighting unless Iron Man or myself authorizes it since the last thing we need are vigilantes roaming around. Understand?"

The teens had no choice but to nod their understanding. It was best not to cross an original member of the Avengers, on any day. Without another word, Kate and Cassie calmly headed down the small path leading to the front gates, already talking quietly to each other in a way suggesting they'd become fast friends. Patriot stubbornly glared at the older heroes before walking away as well, leaving Iron Lad and Teddy alone with the two said heroes and an unconscious teen in his arms. Though against their protests, Iron Lad insisted on being by himself in case something else happened while they were down on numbers, reassuring them he'd call if something did indeed happen. Without another word, Iron Man took hold of the Captain and proceeded to fly off into the night, Iron Lad quickly taking his own leave.

Realizing he was now truly alone on the mansion grounds, not helping but gaze at the pale skinned teen in his arms. If he'd ever crushed on a guy before, he was smashed now. Were the kid not unconscious and exhausted, he'd had kissed him breathless. Instead, he resolved to smiling down at the peaceful face, readjusting his grip, and made his way off the grounds. The only issue now: how was he going to get back into his house with a complete stranger without his mother noticing he was gone to begin with?

And we are done! But it was worth the work ladies and gents. Very much so since it's definitely a new thing to be writing about, at least in my book anyway. So the pilot's done and I hope you guys enjoyed it! So without further ado, let's see what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 2: Promises Kept

Billy's down for the count and hopefully won't freak when he wakes up. Can Teddy really deal with a paranoid magician on his own? Where did Billy send Growing Man anyway? Curious? Find out next time in the next installation of my latest fic _'Vereor Ipsum'_:

_**Chapter 2: Promises Kept!!!**_

Ps. This chapter's dedicated to my good buddy, Kiri. Enjoy!! ^^


	2. Chapter 2: Promises Kept

Hello again readers! It's me again and I'm back for round two of my latest work known only as _'Vereor Ipsum'_. I hope you guys enjoyed the pilot as much as I enjoyed writing it. Getting it all down wasn't easy but I can only hope my efforts were enough to please. Anyway, time to get down to it: I don't own '_Young Avengers_' in any shape or form. Which makes me really, really sad. Oh well. Enjoy!!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = telephone speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 2: Promises Kept

Aching pain. Not exactly something anyone wanted to feel upon first waking up. But it was something that Billy was going to have to endure if he was going to recover from the foolish act he'd committed last night. Not only had he teleported before he was ready, but he did it with another person, as well as a person who was twenty times bigger than he was. And he was somehow still alive because of it. _But how did I—?_

Then it hit him. He'd fainted right when he'd completed the spell, but from the way the surface he was laying on felt, he wasn't on grass or dirt. He was, for certain, lying on something soft in a place that was a bit too quiet. Daring to slowly open his eyes, instead of the sky or some run down, beat up ceiling, his gaze was met with a stark white ceiling. It looked more like a cream color in the shaded light most likely to drawn curtains but that didn't really matter to him. For all he knew, he was back home with his adoptive parents and their true twin sons, where he'd somehow hurt them the easiest. Like the night before, panic was quick to set in as he sat up only to instantly regret it. Everything hurt, even his bones. Along with a disturbingly powerful headache that nearly sent him reeling into unconsciousness all over again. But it wasn't strong enough to where he couldn't fight it down.

_Damn… to have a withdrawal? Now? Dammit, just how weak am I?_ He thought as he tried to wipe the sleep out of his eyes before taking a better look at his surroundings: from the looks of it, he'd been set onto the couch and provided a blanket. The rest of the room was clean and well furnished; the wood of the furniture carved elegantly and colored a dark cherry, their cushions varying in color or simply shade. In other words, he was in someone else's house. Either way, the need to leave was coming back super strong. Staying in one place meant they were targets of his powers. It was someone else's place, only the same nightmare he feared would eventually come true. Once again, he tried to get up, but the pain his body told his brain was too much. Just the effort was making him tired again. Even sitting up was exhausting by now. Not wanting to be found on the floor by whoever he was staying with, Billy resolved to lying back down, bringing the blanket up to his shoulder and rolling over. Within a few seconds of settling down again, sleep hit him like a brick.

Upon waking again, the pain wasn't as bad as before. He still ached in places, mostly his joints and his spine, but above all else he was fine. Sitting up proved easier than last time, since his head didn't feel like it was about to explode and leave everything else scorched. Looking around, it was the same room as before, only the lighting was different. Less like mid morning, when he'd woken up the first time, and more like sometime in the late afternoon. Bracing against an arm of the couch, Billy decided it was high time to test out his legs. Just getting them to move was difficult, mostly since they'd gone a little numb from their lack of movement. Once his feet were on the floor, he noticed then that his shoes were missing. Usually he'd have panicked about this, since his shoes had been snatched up once or twice, forcing him to either track them down or buy new ones. In this case, he knew they'd just been removed to avoid getting dirt everywhere and onto the couch. Another painful reminder of where he didn't want to be right then. Quietly shuffling his way to the window, he reached forward to push one of the curtains aside to see: a simple area that didn't look too busy, the surrounding buildings only ten stories tall. Most likely like the one he was in. A somewhat reassuring concept in his mind now that he actually thought about it more deeply.

"I see that you're finally awake!"

Billy jumped at the voice, quickly turning around, brown eyes darting while blue energy gathered in his hands as he prepared to face a possible enemy. He only found Teddy instead. The taller blonde boy, who was standing just a few feet away, quickly backed away some more, a nervous smirk coming onto his face as he held up his hands in surrender. Billy felt like kicking himself twenty times over. Even his being paranoid was coming to be a bit much. He looked away as the blue glow of his hands vanished, the soft touch of a warm hand on his shoulder making him turn back to find a soft smile and kind eyes to greet his.

The kind smile nearly became a grin as Teddy spoke. "There's no need to feel sorry for yourself for reacting like that. I already proved last night that I can take a beating or two. Even from you. No matter what, I will never, ever hurt you. Okay?"

Billy only turned away again, eyes on the floor, his voice soft and hesitant. "Sorry I--."

Teddy's firm voice stopped his words in their tracks. "Don't. There's no need for it. Even I've been there. All you need is some proper training and reassurance. We can help you with that. You don't even have to ask."

"It's just that…it's been so long since I've willingly been around people…." If Teddy saw his blush, he didn't mention it. Or he just pretended not to notice.

"That's just a natural reaction. A reaction even I had when I found out I could change shape and color. You're not alone in this."

Unfortunately for Teddy, Billy was already heading into back into panic mode. "But--! But I nearly killed someone! I might hurt you or someone else--!"

"Just stop. I already told you Billy: I can help, and I will. But you need to trust me. Are you willing to trust me?" he asked, firmly holding Billy's face in his big hands. And he held on until Billy finally calmed down and nodded back at him. "You don't have to answer right now. We still need to talk to Captain America about all this. My mom's at work right now but she said we could help ourselves to whatever's in the fridge. Are you hungry?"

"A little." He said, feeling like an idiot for lying. He was starving.

Teddy smiled again, removing his hands from the other teen's face and patting him on the shoulder. "Good enough. C'mon, let's see what we can find."

Even when Teddy turned away to lead him into the next room, Billy could feel his face burning like a furnace. The blonde had the build of any other high school jock, but didn't seem to act like one. He wasn't mean or dominating. Instead he was kind, gentle and understanding. And even worse, his senses were going haywire. Where Teddy's hands had been, creating spots of warmth and reassurance had become cold and empty. Being in direct contact with another human being again was enough to make him feel on edge, but someone who was willing to see past what he could do? It made his heart beat like he'd been running the entire time. Fighting down both the urge to run for it or just downright jump the blonde, Billy resolved to simply following him into said kitchen. Which he found was as neat and organized as the living room had been. From left to right, everything was in its proper place, and probably not a speck of dust to speak of to land on the clean counters. Teddy's amused chuckle brought Billy back to reality.

"I don't have any siblings like you do. Me and my mom are the only ones who live here but she's at work right now. So don't freak okay?"

Billy chuckled, smiling nervously. "Don't worry. I won't."

Teddy nodded, giving the other boy another one of his heart-stopping smiles. "Good. Do you care for anything right now?"

"Not really. Whatever you have I'll take." Billy said as he sat down at the nearest counter stool before he finally asked. "What about your dad?"

The blonde didn't turn around from rummaging through the fridge, but Billy could tell that he was sad through his voice. "I never met him. And Mom doesn't like to talk about it. I've tried asking but she keeps saying that I should wait for another time. I think he might be dead."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have--." He said, truly wanting to kick himself now.

Suddenly Teddy was there, in his face again, his blue eyes staring strongly into his. His tone told Billy that he wasn't messing around. "I said it's okay. You don't have to keep apologizing. Besides, it's natural for you to be curious about other people. Right?"

"Yeah." He said in surrender, his voice soft. A moment or two went by before he finally came around the counter and snagged one or two the containers. Steak and mashed potatoes, both he hadn't had in a long time. "I'll take these."

Teddy's kind smile was back again. "Sounds good." He said as he closed the fridge and went to pull out a plate. When they finished preparing Billy's 'lunch', Teddy reached forward to take the plate away. "I'll heat it up for you."

"No, I'll take care of it." The raven haired boy said, smirking calmly.

"Wha--?" blue eyes widened in amazement as the plate suddenly floated into the air, surrounded by blue energy. The plate's contents were already starting to steam. Teddy had only one thing to say. "Whoa."

Billy could only smile shyly. He'd made sure that he was truly alone when he tried messing with magical fire. Usually in an open field or an abandoned building proved useful in determining what he could and couldn't do with it. Though he usually used it on water that seemed less than consumable, this was good practice. He could only hope that the food, or the plate, wouldn't blow up into many, many painful pieces.

As the plate came back down to land safely onto the counter again, Teddy could only shake his head in astonishment. "Other than last night, that's a first in my book."

Billy simply chuckled, accepting a fork and knife from the blonde. "No worries. Did it scare you?"

Teddy shrugged, leaning against the counter behind him. "Just a tad. But not enough to make me run away like I'm sure you thought I would. Should it have though?"

This time Billy shrugged, speaking between bites. "I guess not. Though this is the first time I've used it in someone's house before."

"And not in your own?" he asked, clearly confused.

For the first time in a while, Billy hesitated. "I… I'd rather not go into that right now."

"It's cool. Go ahead and eat." Teddy said, straightening to walk over the phone seated on a counter to their far right. "I'll call Eli and the others to let them know you're okay."

Billy looked up from his plate, raising an eyebrow in question. "Eli? Who's that?"

The blonde said quickly, hoping his kind smile would smooth over Billy's obviously growing uncertainty as he picked up the wireless receiver. "He's Patriot. The kinda angry guy you zapped last night."

The raven haired teen nodded in understanding, gazing down at his food in obvious guilt over his actions. "Ah. That was kind of an… accident."

"Really? Seemed to be kinda deliberate to us." The blonde stated, looking puzzled.

Billy simply shrugged, taking a few more bites of the leftover steak he'd chosen. "Not really. Sometimes my powers work without words, while others do. I'm not really sure how it works that well. But I think I've most of the basics down."

"That's good. It means we have a base to work with for later." By now, Teddy's attention was to the phone in his hand as he started to dial the numbers. "You keep eating. I'll call the others to come over. They were a bit anxious to actually talk to you."

This immediately sent up a red flag. "T-talk to me? Why?"

Blue eyes met brown, Teddy giving him a look of concern. "Why else? To get to know you better. You're gonna be our newest member after all. We can always hold off for another day if that's what you want."

"I--."

Teddy quickly canceled the number and set the phone down. The other teen was his main focus now. "We don't have to call them right now Billy. It can always wait until later. For now we can just relax."

"Did… did I hurt anyone?"

Teddy looked and sounded almost horrified by the question. "What?" He quickly came to stand next to the other teen. His voice was soft but his eyes were commanding as he once again cupped Billy's face in his hands. "No! No Billy you didn't hurt them. They were a little confused about what happened but from what they told me, no they were fine."

The blonde's blue eyes kept Billy from looking away, even when he asked hesitantly. "And… they really do want to meet me?"

Teddy's kind smile was back, hoping to calm the other teen down with a bear-like hug. "Yes. Yes they do. I already explained to them that you're not used to people just yet. They'll understand if you don't want to meet them today."

Despite himself, Billy couldn't help but tilt his head just so, making his face press against the warm skin of Teddy's neck. Just his sent was intoxicating to him. "I don't think I can face them today."

"And that's perfectly okay Billy. There's nothing wrong with that. You're just unsure. That's all." He looked down at the counter to find Billy's plate was now empty. Calmly, and much to Billy's silent displeasure, he pulled away to look right at the other boy again. "Are you done eating for now?"

"Y-yeah." He said softly, clutching one of his temples in pain. The headache was back for round two.

Cue concern from fellow teen hero. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just… still kinda tired." A straight-up lie to say the least. Billy was exhausted now that the pain had come back.

"C'mon. You need to lie back down." Teddy said, holding Billy up as he guided the other boy back into the living room and towards the couch. "Is it because of what you did last night?"

He winced as his head pulsed, sending a wave of pain through his entire body. "That and what I did a little while ago. So damn stupid."

"You're not stupid Billy. Far from it." Teddy said coolly, helping the raven haired boy lie down while pulling the thick blanket over him. He seemed to fight down a chuckle of amusement at the boy's already drowsy state. "Good night."

Even before falling asleep again, Billy felt comfort from the warmth of Teddy's hands laying him back down. The kind of calm and soothing warmth he remembered long after losing consciousness.

--_**A Few Hours Later**_—

Sleeping it off was always best when it came to feeling sick. When Billy overdid it when he used his powers, it was like he'd caught the flu. He had to sleep or he was going to have black outs. Waking up once again, for the third time, Billy found the time had flown by like a stealthy jet plane of sorts. One of the lamps was on, giving the rest of the room a somewhat warm look despite the darkness hiding in the corners. Glancing at the windows, it was obvious it was night time, and the rest of the world was either going to sleep, or just waking up. Looking back into the rest of the room, Billy found that he wasn't alone. Teddy was seated in a chair to the far left, blue eyes watching the TV that was set on low. From his attire, it was obvious that he'd already showered for the night. The blonde's presence didn't surprise Billy at all. Hell, he half expected the other teen to be there when he woke up anyway. But when he looked to his right, he was genuinely surprised to find someone else seated in the other chair. A woman, probably in her mid to late forties, blonde, pretty and slim, sat calmly in her own seat, calmly facing the TV with obvious general interest. Just from her basic features there was no doubt, she was Ms. Altman.

It was pretty obvious that the mother and son were fairly engrossed in the daily programming to notice that their guest was awake. Not that Billy minded. It'd become a normal thing for him, being ignored by others. Simply shrugging it off, the raven haired teen quietly got up from the couch, and edged his way away so that the lamp wouldn't show his telltale shadow to the two. After a few moments of stealthy maneuvering, Billy had successfully made his way from the living room to the kitchen with flawless execution. Months of slipping past cops put to work in a way he didn't think he'd have to apply it. But for now, that didn't matter. He was hungry and even being a sneak wasn't going to hinder his need to eat. This time, Billy used the microwave to heat his meal. The last thing he wanted was to give Ms. Altman a reason to panic over floating plates and glowing hands. As he waited for the machine to finish its sole duty of reheating his chosen edibles, Billy's eyes somehow made their way to the clock on the wall.

What it read surprised even him. _8:13 p.m._ Just looking at it was a bit of a shock. He'd slept an entire night and day away. Something even he knew was highly improbable. The sound of the microwave signaling that its task was complete brought Billy back out of his daze. Glancing into the living room, he found that Teddy and his mother still hadn't moved. Either what they were watching was really interesting, or they hadn't heard the microwave go off.

Either way, it gave Billy an excuse to eat in solitude. Yet another part of his life that he'd long since grown used to, and one of the few things he was truly grateful for. Quickly finishing his late night meal, Billy quietly cleaned after himself, putting everything where he was fairly sure it belonged. Silently walking back into the living room, Billy was amused to find that the television had gone to a commercial, and his hosts were just then discovering his absence.

"Hey Teddy?"

The blonde boy jumped, turning in his seat as Ms. Altman brought her own bright blue eyes up to land on him. Billy fought down a smirk at their surprise. Now wasn't the time to be laughing at their tunnel vision.

Ironically Teddy was the first to speak. "When did you--?"

Billy asked suddenly, fighting down the urge to grin even if the question was a fairly logical one. "Where's your bathroom? It's kinda been a while… since I've showered."

"Oh…. Oh! Oh yeah um, … it's uh, down the hall. Second door on the right, it should have everything you need." Teddy said, giving Billy a curious look. "Did you need any clothes? You can borrow some of mine."

"No, that's okay. I can get my own. Unless—" he had to stop himself, glancing at Ms. Altman like she was suddenly a source of negative vibes. Something he was really coming to expect from others who saw his abilities for the first time.

"It's okay Billy. I already told her. You don't have to worry about that. Okay?"

"Okay." Visibly showing his relief, Billy turned his attention back to Teddy. "I'll be back in a sec."

The chant was quickly accepted as he disappeared in the telltale orb of blue light, opening his eyes to the fairly clean but still rather rundown apartment he'd found a few months back. He'd even put a special spell on the windows and door to keep the hobos and the druggies from sneaking in when he was away. Looking around, he snatched up the backpack he'd used when he first 'moved in' and began to stuff it full of the clothes he knew were clean. Zipping it closed and holding it by one strap, Billy took one last look around before beginning his chant all over again. In seconds, he was, once again, in Teddy's living room where he was greeted by a relieved Teddy and his rather astonished mother. But instead of the expression turning to fear like he prayed it wouldn't, she simply smiled kindly at him.

"What an amazing gift you have! Perhaps you can come over to help Teddy get to school on time for once." She said smoothly, giving her son a look of amusement and possibly something else that Billy couldn't read.

Either way, Teddy's face turned pink as he quickly protested. "Mom!"

Ms. Altman simply laughed at her son's reaction. "I'm kidding dear. Billy dear, did you eat yet?"

"Uh, yeah. You guys were busy so I kinda… helped myself." He said, giving her a nervous smile, seriously hoping to God that she didn't mind.

Apparently not since all she did was smile wider with a nod. "I see. Well, stay as long as you need to. It's so nice that Teddy's finally brought a friend over. I'm quite surprised that he hasn't done this before." She didn't wait for a response from either of the teens as she shrugged at her own statement, before turning to leave the room. "But what's a mother to do? Don't stay up too late now."

"G'night Mom." Teddy said to her retreating back.

"Night Ms. Altman." Billy said in turn, before he finally turned back to Teddy. His look of confusion saying it all. "That was… new."

Teddy could chuckle, nodding his understanding. "Yeah, imagine my surprise when she so readily accepted my explanation when I came home with you last night. I just hope it doesn't suddenly kick in and she freaks."

"Yeah…." Just the thought of it sent Billy to his own family. What would they think when they found out just who or what he was?

The blonde's concerned voice brought him back to reality. "Are you okay?"

Billy just shook his head, getting a better grip on his bag before turning towards the hallway, with Teddy not far behind. "Yeah, I'm fine. I should probably clean up. I probably reek like something died."

"If that were true, I'd have stuck you under the shower head first thing." Teddy chuckled again as Billy gave him a sidelong glare.

"That's not funny."

This didn't stop Teddy from laughing. "Yeah, yeah I know. But I probably would have."

Billy stopped mid-step, scowling rather indignantly at the blonde next to him. "Please tell me you aren't serious."

"Hm. Maybe." He said, shrugging.

"Now you're just pulling my leg." Billy growled, half serious himself.

Teddy only shook his head laughing as they both stopped in front of the bathroom, Billy already halfway through the door. "Just go get clean Billy. Did you want to sleep in a real bed tonight?"

Billy paused, caught completely off guard. "Uh…."

"It's okay. We'll talk when you're done." Teddy said, turning to walk back towards the living room. But before he went more than three steps, he stopped and turned back. "Oh yeah and Kate called. She says that she'll gather everyone up to talk. That is, if you're up to it."

"I still need to think about that." He said, quickly looking away, avoiding the kind blue eyes looking his way.

Teddy's kind and understanding smile sent Billy's heart racing. "Sure. No rush. See you when you're done."

Billy could only stare at Teddy's retreating back in a daze. Of all the guys he'd encountered in his life, never had one like Teddy made him want to drop everything and go on the attack. Mostly because he'd never felt so flustered over another guy before. He'd had a crush or two over the years, but when it came to Teddy. There were no words to describe exactly how he felt. He quickly shook himself out of his stupor and closed the bathroom door behind him. He was there for a reason after all. _Maybe I should take a cold shower tonight._ He thought as he locked the door and began to undress.

--_**Meanwhile, With Teddy**_—

_Dammit what's gotten into me?_ He couldn't help but think as he walked away from the bathroom and reentered the living room. The most he'd done all day was sit around and worry about the teen now using the utilities a good twenty feet away from him. Even though he'd spent a majority of the day doing homework that wasn't due until a few weeks from now, Teddy couldn't help but wonder if he'd finally gone off the deep end.

_Why did he kiss me last night? Was it spontaneous or was it real? No, it was real. The way he responded was way too sudden for it not to have been real. If it was a fake kiss, he'd have waited until a few moments later. That and it felt… honest._ Teddy was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of the phone ringing, making him look around in search for it. And he found it, where it'd always been, on a side table on one side of the couch. Not even bothering to sit down, the blonde quickly picked up the receiver and said. "Hello?"

"_Teddy? It's me Kate._" Said the familiar female voice on the other end, making Teddy freeze in time for a second or so, as well as want to kick himself.

"Oh hey Kate. Oh God I'm sorry. I forgot I was going to call you." He said, hoping that he sound truly apologetic. Teddy was the kind of guy who knew best to keep promises to people he knew. Especially to girls, no matter if they were rich or poor.

The raven haired girl's cheery voice didn't change in the slightest. "_That's okay. I was busy doing other things anyway. How's the new kid?_"

Teddy let out a sigh of his relief. At least she changed the subject. "He's fine. And he has a name Kate. No way you don't know his name."

"_Yeah. Billy right? It's weird how he looks like Tommy. Has he said anything about that?_" she asked, sounding truly serious for once.

Teddy just shook his head, but then felt foolish when he realized that she couldn't exactly see the negative gesture. "No. And I haven't mentioned it either. I don't think he's ready for that just yet."

Concern slipped its way into Kate's usually happy voice. "_Why? Is he okay?_"

The blonde hesitated. "For the most part it seems. He's been sleeping a lot so it's hard to talk to someone who's in Dream Land and obviously isn't listening."

"_Haha. Very funny Altman._" Kate quipped, sounding fairly amused before switching back into business mode. "_But seriously, is he okay?_"

"It's hard to tell. He's pretty shy from what I've been able to observe so far. Like he's shielding himself from the world, maybe even from something that isn't even going to happen anyway. I've had to reassure him several times that he's safe. But I'm kinda starting to think that he doesn't believe me. Or at least he might but doesn't want to show it." He said, scratching the back of his head. The last thing he wanted to do was rush things.

"_Hmm. That is a serious issue. Are you sure you don't want me to call the others so that we can come over? We could try it that way._"

The blonde could only smile. Kate could be a really considerate person when the situation demanded it. Which wasn't surprising on how she'd become a real friend to Cassie in just a matter of hours of meeting one another. "No, sorry but I can't let that happen. Even suggesting it seems to send him into defense mode. This might have to wait for another day Kate. Tomorrow if he's up to it. But right now, I'm not so sure."

"_You really care for this guy don't you?_" she asked suddenly, catching Teddy completely off guard. He could only stand there, mouth agape like a fish.

"I--."

But Kate was far from finished, her voice bringing out her sly, girlish nature. "_You never acted like this when Tommy was with us. But with his twin brother? Naughty, naughty Teddy. For shame my dear friend._"

Just hearing the last two sentences brought Teddy back to reality, his own voice signaling she was treading where she shouldn't. "Kate. I'm serious. And we don't know if they're even brothers."

"_They certainly look like they could be._"

"We should wait until Nathaniel can confirm. But not until tomorrow Kate, we should wait until tomorrow before we start playing 'Twenty Questions' with him."

Teddy could swear that the girl was pouting haughtily on the other end of the line, which he could only smile at knowing that she was probably doing it in jest. "_Party pooper. Oh well. But if I'm right, his measurements shouldn't be any different from Tommy's._"

_Huh?_ For a moment, the statement didn't register and left Teddy honestly confused by what she meant. "Measurements? What're you--?"

There was no hesitation, Kate's voice showing she was back in happy mode. "_For his uniform of course! Cassie and I have even been thinking of what his name should be. We were thinking maybe--._"

Teddy had to pull the receiver away from his ear and stare at it like it'd suddenly grown limbs and was attempting to take his piercings out. He knew girls were talkative, and that Kate and Cassie had become fast friends, but this was ridiculous. And to think she'd simply called just to check in, not to talk his ear off. After a minute or two of her constant ramblings, Teddy decided he'd had enough.

"Kate."

At first he thought she wasn't listening, which was probably a bit too true. "—_oh we could call him--._"

"Kate!" he repeated, this time a little louder.

It had no effect. "--_No, he probably won't like that one--._"

"KATE!" Teddy finally yelled, going out of character for a brief second.

This was enough to catch her attention. "_What?_"

"You're taking my ear off over here." He said, sounding matter-of-factly about the status of his ear.

Kate moaned in guilt from the other end. "_Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to._"

Teddy only chuckled, fully understanding. Kate was a girl after all. "I know you didn't but like I said, it can wait until tomorrow. And only if he's ready. Okay?"

"_Yeah. Good night Teddy!_" she said, the cheerfulness of her personality nearly making him go blind and possibly even deaf.

"Goodbye Kate."

Much to his relief, Teddy quickly hung up before the chatty rich girl could think of anything else to say to him. To his knowledge, she was a pleasant girl to be around. But she was probably going to be any man's hell to date. He could only wish that Billy would be willing to listen in if he said he was already taken. But for now, he could only wish.

--_**With Billy**_—

He'd never been all that picky about himself. He wasn't a girl after all. Even before he'd left home, his habits were the same: go in, do what's needed and get out. Only now, getting in was the easy part. Getting clean and then getting out proved to be a bit hard. Since it'd been literally months since he'd had a proper shower, the sensation of water pounding on his back was hypnotizing. All the way until the water started getting cold. This alone brought him back to reality and why he was in there to begin with. Quickly washing himself down to avoid being in the chilly water for much longer, Billy was thankful that extra towels were on hand for him to use. In minutes, Billy was dry and in fresh clothes with his old set under his arm and his backpack strapped onto one shoulder. He'd already taken the liberty of stuffing his shoes inside for politeness sake.

Exiting the small room and leaving the door ajar to release any cooped up air, Billy made his way back to the living room in a pair on sweat pants, a plain t-shirt and bare feet. He came into the room just in time to see Teddy putting the phone's receiver back into place, instantly making him curious. "Did someone call?"

Teddy turned around, giving him a nervous smile. Unfortunately it only made Billy nervous about the meaning that could be behind the facial gesture. Humoring him, Teddy decided it was best to answer honestly. "That was Kate. Apparently I forgot to call her after lunch like I was supposed to. She's getting pretty antsy about talking to you."

Billy blinked his surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. She and Cassie are even coming up with a name for you." The blonde said, smiling in amusement at the thought.

This, of course, caught Billy off guard. "A name? As in… a codename?"

Teddy nodded, looking serious. "Yup. She just spent the past two minutes trying to talk my ear off about it. But I still said I'd call if you were ready. That is… if we're going a bit too fast for you…."

"What? No! No, it's just… after what happened…." He hesitated. Even now it was still bothering him.

In seconds, Teddy was there and wrapped him in a small hug before pulling back and looking Billy right in the eyes. "And I keep saying that it's fine. They understand that you were just reacting to a situation that we were all at a disadvantage. You'd just met us and we didn't know what was wrong until now."

Billy only looked away, his brown eyes unreadable. "What do they know?"

"That you were only scared and confused, that I'm willing to help you through it. And I am Billy, I really am." The blonde said with confidence before taking hold of Billy's arm, giving him a kind smile. "C'mon. You're going to sleep in a real bed tonight."

"But I--."

This time Teddy wouldn't have it. It was bad enough that Billy was beating himself up over the night before. "No buts Billy. You've been on the couch long enough."

With a strong hand and a firm grip, Teddy was soon leading Billy back down the hall and to yet another door. Lightning sparked across Billy's skin, and possibly onto Teddy's hand when Billy realized that they were now in the doorway of Teddy's room. If Teddy reacted to the feel of electricity under his palm, he didn't show it as he turned to Billy, saying. "Normally we'd use the guest bedroom but it's full of boxes right now. Either way, I have to be able to keep a better eye on you while you're here."

Billy was shaking his head, looking very unsure of everything. "I don't know if--."

Teddy didn't let him say any more, practically grabbing onto the boy's shoulders to get his attention. "Billy, I said that I would help you. Even if I have to have you right next to me. If you're not comfortable with being in here I understand. But we can't have you running off on your own, not when you're like this."

"So I'm weak." He said, sounding bitter, brown eyes flashing something dangerous.

"No! No, heavens no Billy, you're not. What I mean is that you need support. You need someone there to help you understand what's happening to you. And I volunteered for it. We can always track down a sleeping bag for you to use if that'll make you feel better." Blue stared into brown, seeking a positive response. "Okay?"

Billy just nodded. Even he was unsure of what to say by now. All he knew was that just being near Teddy was sending his feelings into hyperdrive. Before Teddy pulled his hand away, he was surprised to see Billy suddenly grab it, allowing his backpack and the set of clothes to fall to the floor. Waiting patiently, Teddy stared down at the other teen with curious blue eyes. After a minute went by, he finally said tentatively. "Billy?"

"I--." He wanted to say the right thing, hoping that what came out of his mouth made sense even to him. "I've just never had anyone other than my parents care this much before."

"Are you okay with that?" Teddy asked. "If you're more comfortable with being on the couch again tonight then--."

Billy didn't even let him finish, still looking away. "That's not what I meant."

It took him a second to realize what he meant before blushing profusely. "Oh. Billy, I'm not trying to force myself on you if that's what you're thinking. And to be honest," he said softly, using his opposite hand to lift Billy's face so that their eyes met. "You're the first I've ever really felt this way about."

The blush spread across Billy's face like wildfire. Just hearing those words made his heart flutter like butterfly demanding freedom. One could easily say he was shocked to hear such words come from anyone. Ever. After what felt like an eternity, he couldn't resist anymore. He just did it. Why wasn't something that mattered right then. Only that he did it before he could talk himself out of it. Without even a warning, Billy might as well have jumped Teddy while latching onto those velvet lips of his. For a few brief moments, both boys were in complete bliss, Billy's arms wrapped around Teddy's neck while Teddy's hands were roaming the smaller boy's back. When they finally pulled apart to breath, Billy was surprised to find a wicked look on the blonde's face.

"Now I know you're challenging me."

"Wha? Whoa!" Billy managed to say before he was suddenly turned sideways, with Teddy's strong arm holding him around his waist as the taller boy literally carried him and kicked his things into the room before shutting the door.

For lack of much else to say, Billy stammered. "P-put me down!"

But Teddy simply grinned down at him, looking smug. "No way. You started it. I'm gonna finish it."

Billy scowled, sounding more sure of himself. "I'm not luggage you know. I can walk on my own."

"Oh I know. But you're not getting away that easily." Teddy said as the grin became a smile, shutting the light off and jumping onto the bed where he set the smaller boy down.

Billy tried to roll away, only to hit the wall as his face burned bright red. "What about not forcing yourself on me?"

"Silly little love. That's not all a bed is for. At least… not right now. Besides," Teddy said, his voice suddenly soft as he lay next to Billy, causing them to rub noses. "I already told you that you're the first I've felt this way about anyone before. And I'm not going to ruin it by doing something you don't want. Just go to sleep. We've a long day ahead of us."

Pulling the covers over them both, Teddy then pulled Billy into a protective hug, gently kissing him full on the lips one last time before they both shifted into a peaceful sleep. Billy found himself drifting away to the soothing smell of Teddy, the larger boy's warmth bringing him the peace of mind he'd been hoping to find for months.

--_**The Next Day**_—

There was no other word for it: nervous. Anxious more like but either way, Billy was nervous about what to do. About what to say to the very people he'd attacked only two nights ago. And it was driving him up the wall. Seated once again at the counter stool in Theodore Altman's kitchen, staring guiltily down at the empty cereal bowl he'd just finished, the urge to run back to Teddy's room and hide there was all too strong. But by now, the rest of the Young Avengers, including Captain America and Iron Man, were all seated in the living room. A barrier between him and his own sense of mental well-being, something he'd have no choice but to face either way. At that very moment, he could hear Teddy warning them about his sense of self. His understandable, natural fear of them and his own powers, a fear that even he had also faced at some point or another.

Even if the words were muffled, Billy was sure that was what was being discussed. And it practically gave him every reason to hate himself even more. He'd hurt people who were trying to be his friends, who were trying to understand him for who and what he was. But Teddy's words kept reminding him that he was forgiven for what he did, even if it was a natural reaction to something that wasn't going to happen in the first place. Just the thought of it made him want to teleport out of there, to anywhere. _No._ He thought, scowling at his hands. _I have to trust Teddy. He said I could trust him. He said he'd help me through this. You have to believe him Kaplan, or you'll just hate yourself more._

Fighting down the urge to bite his leap, Billy forced himself to sit still until Teddy came to say it was okay. Running away would probably just make things worse. He'd already been sitting there for what felt like hours, but he knew was probably close to twenty minutes. And the wait was only making him even more nervous than before. Billy wanted to run, to get away, to avoid the thing he knew in the deep recesses of his mind was going to happen no matter what he did to steer clear of the inevitable. Clasping his hands together, Billy sat on his stool, staring down at said hands, holding them together until it almost hurt. He needed to stop running. He needed to get things together if it was going to work. And I hoped it would. Not just for his own sake, but for Teddy too. Just the thought of hurting Teddy by running away without a word was something he wasn't prepared to do. The sound of footsteps brought him back to reality, making him look up toward the doorway to see Teddy walking in. Blue eyes met brown as Teddy didn't hesitate to stand next to Billy.

His voice soft and his large hand gentle on Billy's shoulder, Teddy spoke in a soothing whisper. "They're ready for you. Are you up to this?"

Billy almost didn't trust his voice for once. "Y-yeah, I think so."

"We can always call this off Billy. You don't have to do this." Billy could see the concern his Teddy's eyes. Sincere and understanding concern for him. Just the sight of it made him pull together more than ever before. He had to if he wanted to keep Teddy from being so worried all the time.

"No. no I need to do this. I need to stop running. But I'm not sure if I can." He said, forcing himself to look away. Billy honestly didn't know if he was up to this.

But Teddy's warm hand was there to bring his focus back upwards again, looking him straight in the eyes. "You can. They want to help you. I want to help you. But we can't unless you let us. It's your decision Billy. We won't force you to do this if you don't want to."

Teddy let his hand drop, searching Billy's brown eyes for an answer. After a moment, Billy finally spoke, his voice as firm as Teddy had ever heard it. "I'll be okay."

He couldn't help but smile. Billy's courage was just too cute. "C'mon. It's time we were all properly introduced."

Drawing reassurance from Teddy's warm hand on his back, Billy got up from his stool, took a deep breath and made his way into the living room. Even before stepping into full view, Billy was met by familiar faces. Faces he was certain would twist in fear or contempt once they saw him again. Much to his inner relief, all they did was turn and well, stare. Just the feel of their eyes made him want to turn and run, but Teddy's hand on his back, steady and constant, quickly changed his mind. Facing them was the first step to change. As well as to the help that he desperately needed in order to better understand his abilities. Trying to smile but failing miserably, Billy couldn't help but sound timid when he finally spoke. "Hi."

When nothing happened, Billy wanted to back out even more than ever. If someone didn't say something soon, he was bound to make a run for it either way. He even glanced over at Teddy for support, only to find he was just as tense as he was. After an eternity and a half, the blonde girl who was standing to the far left, was suddenly in motion. She was a little shorter than him and obviously at least a year younger. Her hair was short but long enough to be tied back, kind eyes like Teddy's and a reassuring smile to boot, she finally reached forward and said. "Hi Billy. I'm Cassie Lang but you can call me Stature when we're in the field okay?"

Still on edge, Billy took her hand and shook it, still very unsure of what to do next. "Y-yeah sure thing."

"The other girl over there is Kate, or Hawkeye, that's Nathaniel or Iron Lad as he calls himself and this one here is Eli and he goes by Patriot." She said confidently, pointing out each person in turn before turning back to him. "And it's obvious you've already met Teddy. We just call him Hulking."

_Well that explains something._ He thought as he finally found his voice. "Nice to meet everybody." He said, nodding at them before going back into timid mode again. "About the other night…."

"It's okay Billy. Really, we forgive you. We'd have done the same if it was the other way around." Cassie said, her smile bright and confident against his inner gloom.

Billy nodded, trying to smile again and failing. From the way Iron Man and Captain America were staring at him, the fact that he was being accepted was proving a little hard to believe at this point. That is until they suddenly smiled. That only sent up red flags in his mind, making him feel like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Luckily, all the Captain did was say. "It's quite alright Billy. We're just here to talk to you. That's all. Is that alright with you?"

"Y-yeah, it's fine." _What the hell is going on?_ He thought before finally accepting an empty chair, somewhat across from the veteran heroes. "So… everybody's okay?"

The Captain simply chuckled at the question, probably hoping his kind smile would put Billy at ease. "All you did was knock us over. It stung but we're fine. What about you?"

Billy just scoffed at the question, stress and fatigue finally catching up to him as he spoke, giving the man an uncertain smile. "Starting to wonder if all of this is even real. But then again, dreams don't include hurting others do they?"

This time Nathaniel was the one who answered, leaning forward from where he sat in the opposite chair. "Depends on the dream. But we're real Billy. And I'm really surprised I didn't find you sooner."

"Find me sooner? What do you mean?" he had to ask. Why would they be trying to find him anyway?

Nathaniel could only smile, a smile that seemed to have a grim side to it. "Billy, did you know that you were part of the Avenger failsafe program?"

Billy stared at him, confusion twisting his face and reflected in his voice. "The what? I've never heard of that before."

"That's because the Vision put it together in case the original Avengers were killed off or disbanded. I was able to use that data to find Teddy, Tommy and Eli. Though, to be honest, I was a bit surprised when I couldn't find you. Can you explain that?"

The urge to run had come back tenfold, everyone's eyes watching him like birds waiting for their prey to move. Using a hand, he wiped his face free of the thin layer of sweat that was forming on his skin, his brown eyes concentrated on the floor. After what seemed like forever, he finally found his voice.

"Last year, I was in school, going between classes. I was minding my own business, and I wasn't doing anything wrong. I'd somehow managed to avoid the school bully, who enjoyed using me as a punching bag a bit too much. But that day, when I saw him picking on another kid, I just had to break it up. I don't know what got me to do that but I did. I just… jumped in and said 'leave him alone'. Next thing I knew, he was coming at me instead. Then…. Then it was like I was watching from afar. M-my hands, they just started glowing. I could even feel it in my head, like some kind of surge that I'd never felt before."

A hush had come over the room as Billy fell silent. Finally, Nathaniel's voice broke the silence, his words soft and hesitant. "What happened after that Billy? Can you tell us?"

Billy didn't move or look up, his focus completely on the floor in front of him. "I…. I zapped him. I just… it just happened. Before I knew it, I was still standing and he wasn't. He was just… curled up on the floor, like I'd punched him. I heard someone calling for a teacher and I ran. I had to ask my parents to transfer me to another school. They asked me about it, but I… I just couldn't bring myself to tell them about what I'd done. At the time, my… reaction, if you can call it that, wasn't to kill him, but even now I can't help but think that I could have."

The room fell quiet once again, the occupants clearly tense and in thought until Nathaniel broke it once more. "Well that certainly brings things into perspective."

"Nathaniel?" Kate inquired from across the room, the rest of the group sending the teen questioning looks.

Except Nathaniel wasn't listening, his focus completely on the raven haired teen in front of them, speaking in the same hushed tone as before. "Billy, could you verify something for me please?"

"What?" Billy asked, looking up for once. He too was curious about what the other teen wanted from him.

Nathaniel didn't even hesitate. "According to your file, you've been named a missing person for the past eight months. Care to explain that?"

Time for a: CLIFFHANGER! Evil I know but I have to stop somewhere. Might as well be where things are the most intense. And trust me people, it's gonna get intense from here on out. Which brings me to the ever present need for next chapter's forecast for all of those tuning in here on '_Vereor Ipsum_'. So without further ado, here's what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 3: Off Limits

And so the truth is revealed in a question. But just how will Billy react to this rather sensitive inquiry? Will he take it like any other, or will it spur another panic attack? What's more, when the hell is Tommy gonna show up?!? Want to know? Come back for the next installment of '_Vereor Ipsum_' known simply as:

_**Chapter 3: Off Limits!!!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Off Limits

Welcome back people! And thanks for showing up for my latest work '_Vereor Ipsum_'! Hope you guys are in for a treat because things are gonna be getting pretty awesome. Why? Because I said so! Questions? Comments? Go ahead and send 'em to me by email or through your reviews and I'll get to ya as fast as I can say the 'Pied Piper Had Pickled Peppers' tongue-twister just once. Which isn't very fast, I know and I'm sorry. I can't be online _all _the time. Anywho, let's get on with the show. This fic is still very dedicated to my friend Kiri (don't be haters). Disclaimer: I don't know 'Young Avengers' in any shape or form, even if the need to kidnap Billy and Teddy for myself is getting' kinda strong these days. Oh well. Enjoy!!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = telephone speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 3: Off Limits

Time seemed to freeze for Billy as he went stiff at the words 'missing person'. Words he'd hoped wouldn't be uttered anywhere in the conversation. Something he'd hoped to the gods above that they wouldn't find out. His expression must've been shocking, since those within his line of sight straightened in both shock and surprise. Even Captain America and Iron Man, both dressed in civilian attire, got up at the sudden change in him. He could already feel his lightning ability starting to charge up, his mind reeling at the thoughts, the dreams. Those horrible dreams that haunted him for days of how he might hurt the very people who loved him, cared for him, only for it to be gone in the flash of bright lightning and the smell of burning flesh.

Billy didn't have to look down to know his hands were shaking. But he couldn't help himself. Just being reminded of what he'd done in order to prevent tragedy was enough to send him backwards and further into himself. He didn't want to be there. Not anymore. But he didn't dare move from where he sat. The last thing he wanted was to give them a reason to fear him more. More than they probably already did. Even if he didn't see it, he could sense the others moving away from him. He thought he could hear Teddy saying something but didn't care what it was. He didn't know if they'd noticed if he was crying or not.

"Billy?"

He looked up a little and saw Teddy had come to kneel in front of him, blue eyes asking a thousand questions at once. Tears blinded him until he blinked them out of the way. Billy was sure that he either looked like he was in pain or just spaced out. But that didn't matter to him at the moment. For Teddy to see him like this…. It was more than he could take.

Teddy must've sensed his pain, his insecurity, but simply cupped the boy's face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears away. "Billy, sweetheart it's going to be okay. Just calm down okay? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We can always wait. But you need to calm down. Can you do that? For me… please?"

Billy didn't say a word. He couldn't when Teddy was staring at him like that. Those kind blue eyes were making him feel guilty just for letting himself regress as far as he did, scaring the others into running away. But how could he refuse the one person who saw the real him? He had to get back in control. For Teddy, and himself. _Breathe Kaplan, just breathe. _He thought, fighting down the overpowering urge to get up and run down the hall and to the confines of Teddy's room._ You did this before and you can do it now. Just take a few deep breaths and stop thinking this way._

Billy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and then another, followed by two more. He could already feel the electric surge dissipating. Trusting himself to open his eyes again, he found Teddy there, still staring at him with eyes of blue filled with concern. The face he'd come to adore over the past two days graced him with a smile.

"Better now?"

At first Billy didn't answer, simply taking hold of Teddy's left hand with his right. And when he finally spoke, it was in a shaky whisper. "Yeah…. I'm--."

Teddy grasped the hand holding his as he used the other to pull Billy forward in an awkward hug, letting his tears be soaked into his shirt. He kept his voice soft as he whispered gently into Billy's ear. "Shh. Don't say it. You don't have to. It was a bad question to ask. It shouldn't have been brought up if I'd known you'd react this way to it."

"Did I scare them?" Billy croaked, desperately trying not to break down. He didn't want to bawl like a baby while others were in earshot.

Teddy only chuckled softly into the teen's ear, making him shiver. "Not really. But you did surprise them. They're just concerned that they might've hit a raw nerve somehow." The blonde pulled back to look into Billy's eyes. "Did you want them to leave?"

"No I--." Then something clicked in Billy's head, forcing him to whisper as well. "Damn. I upset you didn't I?" _Is he scared of me now too?_ He thought, new tears coming into his eyes only to be wiped away again.

"No Billy, you didn't. I'm just concerned, like they are. We don't have to have them here longer than you want them to be. They can always come back tomorrow. Just stay put okay? I'll be right back." He said, straightening and giving Billy a gentle kiss on the head and a final squeeze of his hand before letting go. As he walked off, the hidden anger became more apparent in each step. Billy could only hope that such anger would be short-lived.

--_**Meanwhile, In The Kitchen**_—

Nathaniel wanted to kick himself. They'd all known that Billy was on edge, almost unstable, but for a simple question like that to cause that kind of reaction? He felt like an idiot for not foreseeing it. And he was sure that once Teddy came back from calming Billy down, he was going to get sucker punched. Right in the jaw probably. Yeah, in a few moments, he was probably going to be eating fist. For all he knew, he probably deserved it from the way the rest of the team was staring at him. As if on cue, Teddy came in, apparently angry with him. But instead of getting hit, Nathaniel instead found himself several inches off the floor, while the front of his shirt was in the grip of a suddenly green fist.

"Just what the hell were you thinking?!?" he snarled, careful not to yell. Just the sound of loud voices was liable to make Billy on edge all over again.

Despite his position, Nathaniel did his best to express himself. "I'm sorry. If we'd known, no scratch that, if I'd known--."

Teddy's blue eyes flashed with understanding, his fist returning to normal as he put the teen back on the floor. "He wouldn't feel like running away right now. I know."

He nodded, continuing his statement while straightening his shirt. "I really am sorry Teddy. We both had no idea that would be a volatile subject to him. It's possible we really should've waited a bit longer. Talking to Billy this soon… it wasn't the right choice."

"No, it's not entirely your fault. I should've seen the signs. He already told me that he was adopted, and that his parents have actual blood children of their own now. That's enough for him to already feel at least a little dejected. But I'm thinking that since you just confronted him with his missing person status…." He said scowling and crossing his arms while staring off into space. _Why hasn't Billy mentioned that to me yet?_ He thought as the conversation went on.

"Abuse maybe?" Cassie inquired, sounding almost afraid.

Teddy only shook his head, scowling more deeply at the idea. "No. He would've told me that outright and so far there have been no indications that he's been through anything like that. I think he trusts me enough to tell me that much. No I don't think he's being beaten. I think it's just his own paranoia rearing its ugly head."

Even Eli was confused enough to speak up for once. "What do you mean?"

The blonde boy had to think it over a little before speaking. "When I found out that I could change, I was freaked out. But I mastered it. I knew that I was in control. However, I think with Billy that's not the case. You saw how the other night and just now that, depending on what he's feeling, his powers respond. They're like a built in self-defense system of some kind."

"So what does that tell us? He's a walking time bomb?" Kate asked, concern actually making her look like a stern young woman. This was almost funny if not for the fact that the situation at hand was a serious one.

Teddy was shaking his head again. "Not necessarily. More like an emotional breakdown waiting to happen. If I'm right, the only reason he reacted like that is because he's afraid we'll send him home."

"So if we send him back home…." Cassie began to say, almost afraid to finish her own sentence, bringing a grim atmosphere to the room.

"We're putting his adoptive family at risk." Teddy said, finishing it for her, his expression solemn. "Or at least that's what he thinks. That proves that he's thinking ahead, he's just taking his precautions a bit too far."

After just listening to the conversation, Captain America decided it was best he cut in before he was left out of the loop. "Hm. It sounds like you have things figured out here. All right. We'll leave Billy in your care... for now. But he has to go home eventually. He's a minor, just like you and he shouldn't be on the streets on his own."

"I know that. I'll ask him to move in if I have to. But until then, I think I should get back in there before he thinks you guys are really scared of him." With that said, Teddy was the first to exit the kitchen, the rest of the occupants in tow. Saying their silent goodbyes, the Young Avengers gave the unsuspecting Billy one final, worried glance before finally leaving.

Captain America and Iron Man, on the other hand, held back for a moment. The Captain opened his mouth to say something, but decided not to at the look on Teddy's face. With that, both men left. Even they knew better than to mess with a super powered teenager when he was angry.

--_**In The Living Room**_—

Despite his state of self, Billy smiled a little to himself when he noticed the rather angry tone in Teddy's voice from the kitchen. Obviously Nathaniel wasn't walking away clean. He just hoped that the shape-shifter didn't go overboard in dealing out punishment. Just as soon as it was on his lips, the smile vanished. Did they fear him like he was thinking they did? Would there ever be a time when he could be sure that he could stand in a room of people without feeling like the room was collapsing on him? Curling up into a corner somewhere was becoming an even more tempting thing to do as the seconds passed. But he knew better. He didn't want to make Teddy even more upset than he already was. The sound of the front door closing brought Billy out of his musings, making him sit up a little and peek around the edge the chair's back.

There was Teddy, facing the door with an air of angry but disturbing calm that dissipated as soon as he took a breath. Since the source of his wrath was now gone, there was no real reason to let it linger. Turning around, Teddy was surprised to find Billy's brown eyes watching him, curious and practically hopeful for something not anger-related. At this, Teddy could only smile at the boy's obvious innocence. Letting the smile stick, Teddy walked back over the flop down on the couch, fully aware of Billy's birdlike scrutiny. Even if it was almost the afternoon, Teddy couldn't help but feel tired as hell. Considering that a supposedly peaceful conversation had gone sour after just a few sentences and a badly timed question. This almost made his smile vanish from his face as he stared at the ceiling. He wasn't going to interrogate Billy over it. At least not for today anyway.

Leaning forward and allowing the smile on his lips to grow in strength, Teddy quickly decided it was best to distract his charge for a while. "Did you want to do anything today? Or are you still upset?"

Billy shook his head, sniffing softly before responding, his voice a little stronger than before. "N-no I'm… I'm fine. I think… I think I just need some time."

"Take as much as you need. We won't talk about it unless you want to. How about a movie? Will that help?" Teddy inquired, knowing full well that any kind of conversation was out of the question at this point.

Billy nodded, honestly wanting to focus on something besides his issues. As Teddy got up in search of something for them to watch, Billy wiped his face clean of tears in the hopes that it would help calm him down. Not wanting to sit by himself, Billy purposefully moved to sit on the couch as he was shown a few different films, chose one and waited for Teddy to set it up. Once it was ready, the two sat on the couch, watching a film or two as the day went by, putting it on pause only to get food or for bathroom breaks. A few hours went by, and Billy couldn't help but let his eyelids droop. Even sitting up straight was proving difficult. The morning's events had finally caught up with him as he leaned onto Teddy, instantly sent into dream land by his strong warmth and powerful scent. He barely heard the blonde's chuckle of amusement as he allowed Billy to lean on him, soon lost to the waking world.

--_**Meanwhile, Elsewhere**_—

Despite the passage of time, Nathaniel Richards still wanted to kick himself for not being more discreet in questioning Billy about his past. Walking down the sidewalks of the big city with the rest of the Young Avengers crew, all dressed in civilian clothing, Nathaniel could only begin to wonder if they were ready for the challenges ahead. Especially if one of those challenges was one that he was personally responsible for, one that could come at any time. Kate and Cassie were conversing with each other, probably about Billy and his well being. How they could help cheer him up and reassure him that they didn't see him as a danger. Eli had already given him an earful on the matter, about how it was better to find Tommy and get him to rejoin in case Billy never got any better. As much of a tempting choice it was, Nathaniel didn't want to give up on the young magician. He could only hope that Teddy was up to the task of getting Billy to pull things together in time.

"Nathaniel?" the sound of Cassie's voice brought him back to reality, making him stop walking to find the blonde fifteen year old girl in front of him, giving him a questioning look.

"Huh?" was all he could say, an indication that he hadn't been paying attention.

Off to the side, Kate scoffed almost in disbelief. "See? He wasn't listening at all!"

Nathaniel gave both girls a truly apologetic look, his voice sincere when he spoke again and this time in an actual sentence. "Sorry. I was just thinking about what I said. And what I shouldn't have."

With no hesitation, Kate was on him again. This time she was dangerously close to poking him in the face with her rather accusatory, well-manicured finger. "You're still beating yourself up over that? You saw how Teddy handled it back there. He trusts the big lug too much to hurt him like he thinks he'll hurt us. You don't have to worry that much if he's with Teddy."

"It's not that that I'm worry about. I'm worrying about whether he'll be able to get Billy up to speed and stable enough to help out." Nathaniel couldn't help but be honest. Even if his alter ego wasn't. But right now honesty wasn't the biggest issue.

"About your problem? You said that won't be happening for a while." Eli finally growled out, arms crossed and his face twisted in disapproval.

"That's the issue. We still don't know how long 'a while' is going to be." The brunette said with a nod, rubbing his chin in thought. He had to think of a solution and fast if things were going to work out. "If we can't find Tommy or get Billy in shape in time, we'll be in way over our heads. I'm not saying this for just our well being, but also for his."

"Can't we at least try to help Billy first?" Cassie inquired while Kate nodded. "I mean, he could some real friends right now."

"If he doesn't zap us first so good luck with that."

"Eli!" Kate snapped indignantly, executing a well aimed punch on the super soldier's shoulder, making him wince from the sudden pain it caused.

"Ow! What?" the dark skinned teen snapped in turn, truly angry and confused about why she'd struck him. Apparently her glaring at him wasn't hint enough.

"Don't say things like that!" she growled, her pretty face twisting in an angry snarl at the boy. "It's not helpful!"

A familiar but unexpected voice suddenly cut in. "What's not helpful?"

"GAH!" Kate and Cassie screamed, making just about everyone within range jump in surprise as Kate addressed the suddenly existing teen amongst them. "Tommy?"

"In person." He said rather smugly, smiling that devilish smile they'd come to see as either helpful or troublesome.

Indeed it was: Tommy 'Speed' Shepherd, hair a perfect shade of white with eyes hidden behind transparent orange shades. His attire was simple: he was still wearing the green and white uniform that Kate had presented him with only a few months before. Now that he'd made a reappearance, it was obvious that he was an uncanny double of Billy. Only he was more outgoing… and obnoxious.

Ignoring their state of surprise and mild distress, Tommy didn't hesitate to lean a bit too close to Kate, much to Eli's chagrin. "How's it going with you lovely ladies today?"

"Tommy, we've got a bit of a situation here--." Nathaniel began to say before Tommy cut him off, having somehow come to stand right next to him, using one of his shoulders as a leaning post of sorts.

"Nate, with you, there's always a situation at some point." Tommy quipped lazily, now sounding honestly bored. Like his ability, Tommy had a quick but short-lived attention span.

"Nate?" the brunette shook off the sudden use of the pet name, hoping to turn the conversation back towards more serious matters. "Where have you been anyway?"

Tommy simply grinned, the smugness having come back full force. "Oh you know, around. Here, there. All over the place actually."

Clearly annoyed by his lacking listening skills, Kate's indignant expression was once again twisting her features. "Tommy, we need to talk to you about something."

He was back to being next to Kate again, a devilish smirk gracing his lips. "Oh. If it's from you, I'm listening."

"Tommy, this is serious." Nathaniel said, letting out a sigh of exasperation, letting the silence stretch a little. _It's now or never._ He thought as he looked Tommy right in the eyes. "We think we might've found your brother."

This was enough to effectively shut him up. At first he just gaped before speaking, his voice strained as he tried to get it out. "My what?"

--_**Somewhere, Far, Far Away**_—

The ice was in the wind if one could believe it. It came in both flakes of snow and flying pieces the size of toothpicks. But neither these nor the cold were enough to stop the Growing Man from his goal. He'd been given an order to find his master. His master and commander, the powerful and almighty Kang the Conqueror, to whom he'd sworn full fealty and allegiance to never fail or falter in his task. He'd been given an order by said master, and he'd be damned if he was kept from it by some fool boy's annoying spell. Once he got back north, the first thing he'd do was deal with that magicker. But keep him alive long enough to 'play' with later.

Until then, he was to face the harsh tundra and desert wasteland that was the South Pole, the most unusual but annoying place he could've been sent. His only hope was that the boy wouldn't be able to send him back here again or at least to someplace of equal desolation. His only other hope was that is master wouldn't be too angry with him for failing his task the first time around. No, no for sure this time. He'd make sure he found the master's target this time. But for now, all he could do was walk. Walk north by order of his inner compass.

--_**Meanwhile, With Billy & Teddy**_—

Teddy had to get up after he started losing the feeling in his legs. Not because Billy was heavy. No, it was from the lack of movement for three full hours of sitting around and doing nothing. Well, not _necessarily_ nothing. His attention was split between a documentary and Billy's sleeping form stretched all down the couch with the boy's head and shoulder resting comfortably in his lap. He'd seen Billy asleep before, but this was the second time he'd been able to enjoy the view of the boy's peaceful face. Teddy could only hope that he'd get to enjoy the view even more. But only if both their parents were willing to accept that their children were gay, and possibly even dating. If you could call sleeping over and movie watching dating. His mom didn't exactly expect grandkids from him, and Billy parents….

_That's right. Billy knows all about my home life. But I barely know anything about his. Is the fear he has over possibly hurting them the real reason he ran off? Even if that's true, why didn't he tell me? Does he not trust me?_ Teddy frowned at himself, mentally barraging himself for even thinking in that direction. He knew better than to be suspicious of people who he'd come to trust. Much less people who'd come to trust him as well. _No. Don't be stupid Altman. Of course he trusts you. He's let you in and he's let you know how he feels about you. If it's an issue he doesn't want to discuss then give him time. Don't force him. You promised you wouldn't._

Teddy sighed. Just thinking about it was making him tired. Something he was sure was somewhat Billy's fault. He chuckled at the concept. Billy, responsible for making him feel sleepy just by sleeping. It was so laughable, it was practically comical. Turning the TV down before shutting it off, Teddy placed the remote control on the coffee table in front of him before leaning all the way back. Even the plush comfort of the couch was taking its toll on him as he fought to stay awake. Falling asleep, for even a few short minutes, was tempting but highly ill-advised. He needed to keep an eye on Billy. Even if he was sleeping in his lap at the moment, anything could happen either in the conscious or unconscious world that would immediately send him into a state of unrest and panic. A state that he truly didn't want to reappear. Preventing, or at least attempting to control the situation, was and would always be hard. Having to explain to his mother why half their living room had gone missing would be even harder.

His train of thought was interrupted by two things: a strange sound and slight movement on his leg. Looking down, Teddy saw something that disturbed him: Billy's expression had changed, and he was starting to twitch. His face kept shifting between fear, pain and uncertainty as he let out small moans and grunts in response to whatever he was seeing. Teddy knew right off that something was very, very wrong with this picture. Billy seemed a bit old to have nightmares, but such a thing went out the window when he truly thought about it.

It hit him like several tones of bricks, the epiphany causing his blood to run cold out of horror. _No, no it can't have…. Did it? It can't have been anything else? Did today's conversation prompt this?_ He thought, trying hard to believe otherwise, but his mind couldn't produce anything else that made sense. A small shock of electricity brought him back to the situation at hand. He had to wake Billy up, or at least help him calm down.

"Billy? Billy, can you hear me?" he asked tentatively, shaking the boy's shoulder gently, hoping it would be enough to bring the teen back to the waking world. When this produced no results, Teddy gently lifted Billy off his leg and then lay him back down so he could properly face him as he kneeled next to the couch. This action did little to ease the boy's suffering, the electricity flickering on his skin a bit more apparent than before.

_Oh no._ Alarmed and desperate, Teddy proceeded to shake him again, only this time with a bit more force as he tried to keep from yelling in panic. "Billy? Billy I need you to wake up. C'mon Billy wake up. Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real! Please Billy! Wake up!"

Whether it was his voice or the way he was shaking the boy, he didn't care, this time it was enough to wake Billy up. Brown eyes opened to look at him both full of fear and confusion to the happenings around him. "Huh? Wha-?"

Teddy thought he would faint from relief but didn't dare smile. He needed answers. And he needed them now. "Billy! Are you okay? Talk to me please. What just happened?"

Realization dawned onto Billy's face, the fear and hesitation showing in his voice. "I--."

"Billy… I can't help you if you don't tell me. Please. I want to help you." The blonde pleaded, looking the other teen right in the eyes in search of the answers he hoped Billy would give him.

Billy only shook his head, his voice a whisper as tears started forming at the edges of his eyes. "I don't want to scare you. Not you."

This time he let a soft smile come through, rubbing Billy's shoulder soothingly. "I know, but you won't. Whatever it is, I can handle it, okay? But please, talk to me."

"You won't tell anyone?" he had to ask. The last thing he wanted was for Teddy to spread the word. Something he couldn't help but fear even though he knew the blonde wouldn't dare do such a thing to him.

And he got confirmation as Teddy shook his head, looking appalled that Billy would believe him capable of such a thing. "No sweetheart, I won't. Only if I absolutely have to, which will probably be never."

Hearing those words should've been enough, but Billy couldn't help but shiver, bringing a hand to his face to hide his eyes from view. His voice remained soft but started to shake. "I don't know if I can. S-some of the things I see…. They're just--."

Teddy pulled the hand away from Billy's face before wrapping the boy in an awkward hug, rubbing his back to ease the teen's tension. "Shh, shush now. Whatever you saw, it's not real. It'll never be real, we'll make sure that it doesn't ever come true. Okay?"

"Y-yeah. I just--." Billy gasped between shaking sobs. His mind wouldn't stop repeating the images. "I just can't stop seeing it. The pain I feel, I can't help but feel it, then there's t-the burning and the smell… oh God the smell of--."

Billy was startled when Teddy quickly pulled him back, using a hand to hold Billy's chin as he stared into his eyes. His voice was more serious than ever before, so much so it actually surprised Billy. "None of it is real Billy. Remember that: it's just your mind coming up with something that you think will happen. But it won't unless you will it not to happen. Believe me. Look into my eyes and say you believe me."

"Yeah… I believe you." Billy said finally, giving the blonde a reassuring smile as he initiated a hug of his own. "Thanks."

"No problem." Teddy said softly, letting out a chuckle of relief before pulling away again, this time over something different. "Do you need anything? Food, a beverage maybe? Or something else?"

"Just…. Can we stay like this for a minute?" Billy asked. He really didn't feel like going anywhere just yet.

"Better." Teddy said, while snickering in his amusement as he flipped himself to be behind Billy on the couch, both teens shifting until Teddy was under him. "We, meaning you and me, will stay right here until you my dear, are ready to move from this very spot."

Billy gave him a look of confusion, resting his chin on part of Teddy's shoulder. "Isn't that a bit much? What if one of us needs to use the bathroom, go eat or something?"

Teddy shrugged. "Well… I guess that'll be dealt with when it arises. But until then, you will ignore those nasty dreams of yours while I make sure you do."

"But…. But what if they come back and you're not here?" he had to ask. Even he knew that Teddy wouldn't always be right next to him when he needed help.

At first Teddy looked thoughtful. Then he spoke in a matter-of-fact sort of tone. "Well, to put it simply, your brain is trying to lie to you. And because of your fear of these lies becoming truth, you believe what it's showing you. All you need to do is sort through what's fact and what's not."

"What about you? You're not a dream are you?" Billy asking in mock horror, making Teddy almost roar with laughter at the concept.

"If I am, I'd say I'm a damned good one."

They stayed on the couch for the next hour or so, Billy randomly drifting in and out of consciousness while Teddy gently bear hugged him to ensure that if he did fall asleep, he wouldn't start the nightmare thing all over again. When Billy did fall asleep again, Teddy was relieved to find that after the first twenty minutes, nothing happened. Feeling it best to get something for both of them eat, Teddy carefully pulled himself out from under the raven haired teen before gently laying him back down onto the couch. Billy shifted, only once, before going still again. He eyed the teen warily but still felt it safe to walk away to the kitchen. Even one's responsibilities could be outranked by hunger. It only took him ten minutes to make himself a sandwich, a few more to make one for Billy while he was at it, and stuck Billy's in the fridge before actually eating his own. But instead of eating it in the kitchen, Teddy didn't dare leave the teen in the living room alone for more than fifteen minutes. So, he ate his lunch while calmly glancing at his charge now and again in case he either woke up or started to get agitated by some vision unknown to him.

Once done with his meal and reassured that Billy wouldn't be moving between the amount of time it took him to leave, do what he needed to do and then come back, Teddy left only to put his dishes away and clean up any mess he might've forgotten. Coming back, he could only smile at Billy's calm face and motionless form. Knowing that if Billy woke up and found himself alone, Teddy was sure he'd most likely panic or at least become frantic. Just the thought of it almost made him want to burst out laughing. But he knew better than that. Someone else's fear and panic was only amusing the first few times after all. Resolved to be around when Billy woke up, Teddy proceeded, as gently and as flawlessly as his large body would allow, to retake his position underneath the raven haired boy. He lay awake for around twenty minutes or so, playing with Billy's hair before giving in to sleep himself.

--_**Elsewhere**_—

Walking was easy for the most part when it came to being in the middle of an icy wasteland that had no known life for hundreds of miles. Knowing that you were headed towards the right continent was a bit more difficult. And the Growing Man was only growing in rage and frustration since the landscape all looked the same to him. But that wouldn't be enough to keep him from his goal. It took him almost five tries before he found he was heading it the right direction, nearly ending up in the ocean at least three times. When he came across the peninsula however, is when he knew his luck had changed for the better. Now all he had to do was get through the Amazon in one piece. Just one step closer to completing his objective just one more obstacle to jump over. And then he'd make his master happy, for sure this time.

--_**Meanwhile**_—

Tommy 'Speed' Shepherd never did admit to being extremely intelligent, especially since he never actually paid much attention to anything. His education was like that of any kid in the U.S. but that didn't mean he didn't do his share of goofing around and doing nothing. Mostly goofing off and pulling pranks. But now he didn't know if he was the one getting his leg pulled on him. For his entire life, he knew himself to an only child. Being informed that this information was now very, very false, Tommy was having a little difficulty wrapping his head around it. As demonstrated by this following statement:

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I'VE GOT A BROTHER?!?"

Having gotten them to be in a more private area, Nathaniel was prepared for Tommy's rather loud but delayed reaction. He could only hope to calm the teen down before he got too riled to listen. "Tommy you need to calm do--."

"NO I WON'T CALM DOWN! I'M AN ONLY CHILD OKAY?" Tommy yelled, waving his arms angrily, though his eyes only told them he was lashing out due to confusion.

"Well then you're the only kid your parents ever adopted it seems." He said, rubbing his chin in thought to the possibility.

"I WASN'T--!" this made Tommy stop and think. Actually think rather than talk nonstop like he always did. "Wait, I'm adopted? What'd you mean adopted?"

Nathaniel could only shrug. "Well, according to Billy, your brother, he's adopted. It's only fair to believe that you are too. You just went to different families somehow."

"That doesn't make any sense! I think my parents would've told me I had a sibling wandering around. Right?" he asked, still looking confused as hell. Like he just wanted to go somewhere quiet and vent his frustration at how things had gotten very, very complex.

"Or they just didn't know he existed. And from what we know, he doesn't know that you exist either." Kate stated, sounding concerned. Cassie nodded in turn. Both girls couldn't help but worry about Billy.

This however, was even more news for Tommy. "Wait… he's here? In the city?"

"Yes. He's been here under our noses the whole time. The problem right now is that he's taking time to adjust to his abilities." Nathaniel stated, that morning's conversation making him wince at his own stupidity.

Like a small child, Tommy's anger vanished to become excitement. "Abilities? Can he run like I can? That'd be so cool!"

This only made Nathaniel chuckle, making him almost sorry to shoot down Tommy's hopes for another super fast running buddy. "Sorry but no. it looks like his powers are completely different from yours."

"And for good reason." Eli said under his breath, only to get hit in the shoulder again by Kate as she scowled at him.

"Hey!" Tommy said indignantly but turned his attention back to Nathaniel. "So now I have a brother. Now what?"

But the teen only shook his head. The last thing they needed was a repeat of that morning's events. "Not much. I don't think meeting you so soon will help Billy that much. He's been through a lot. We should hold off before we do anything."

"What? Why? If he's my brother, I have the right to see him!" Tommy snarled, once again angry and on edge of yelling again.

This time Nathaniel knew he had to be firm. "Tommy, we can't let you. I'm sorry but Billy needs time to adjust. Meeting you might make things worse for him."

"No! I want to see him! Now!" he demanded, sounding very, very determined. Possibly to confirm that the teen was indeed his lost sibling.

"And I said no! We have to wait until Teddy says he's ready to see us." Nathaniel retorted, starting to feel like he playing tug-of-war with the white haired speedster.

"Wait. He's with Teddy? What for?" Tommy asked, once again silenced by his confusion and lack of presence in all of this.

This time, Kate decided to take over the explanation since Nathaniel just couldn't get through to him. "From what we can tell, Teddy can withstand Billy's powers better than any of us. And he's willing to trust Teddy by staying with him. We already found out he wasn't ready for us earlier this morning. Making it worse won't help him any. Okay Tommy?"

"Yeah but…. Why didn't we meet him sooner?" he asked, truly curious about this fact.

Nathaniel let out a tired sigh. "Tommy… I found you because you stayed put. I couldn't find him because he ran out of fear for others and himself. Just listen to me, just this once Tommy: leave him be."

"But you said so yourself! I'm his brother! I have the right--."

Trying not to growl his frustration, Nathaniel decided enough was enough. Practically glaring at the other boy, he spoke in a rather commanding tone. "That's enough Tommy. You're staying with me until Billy is ready to face others. And you're going to like it. I know you want to meet him but… it's just not the time. Not now. He still needs to get over the fact that he has powers. Powers that can make him capable of hurting others in ways he's obviously envisioned."

For the first time, this sparked concern in Tommy's eyes. "Is he okay?"

Nathaniel could only shake his head. This conversation was making him tired. "We don't know. Teddy warned us that he might not have been ready this morning and he was right. But Billy still made the attempt and it failed. Trust me on this Tommy. Give it time."

"So… when he's ready I can see him?" Tommy asked, this time speaking softly, his eyes averted and on the ground. They could see his fists curling in on themselves, possibly in anger or frustration.

"Yes. But not unless Teddy gives the go-ahead, since he's the only one Billy is willing to be around. Billy doesn't know he has a brother yet and bringing that up might make things worse."

"That's true. Too early and Billy might run off again. It might take us months just to find him, much less trust us."

"What do you mean?" concern flashed back into Tommy's eyes. He hadn't even met Billy and he was already acting like a brother should.

"Later Tommy. But right now we should get going. We have a long night ahead of us."

Tommy nodded at this. He knew better than to disobey Nathaniel. But the thought of him having a brother, who was possibly in trouble, bothered him. But if Iron Lad said to leave it be, it was probably smart to do as he was told. He'd have to ask him about it later.

--_**Elsewhere**_—

Growing Man had finally left the cold lifeless tundra for the hot tropics that was South America, having already come across several mountains, rivers and valleys. He'd even been forced to deal with a waterfall at one point. But not even these were obstacle enough to keep him from heading north. He'd be damned to hell and back if a few oversized hills and streams would stop him from reaching his destination. And revenge. At this point he didn't care what his master had told him to do. Only one thought was going through his mind over and over, like a broken record track. _Once I get there, I'm gonna kill that damned kid. Once I get there … I'm gonna kill that damned kid._

--_**At the Altman Residence**_—

Ms. Altman, having just returned from work an hour early, didn't exactly expect to find the sight she found in her living room. Her son, lying on the couch fast asleep, had their guest on top of him, using Teddy as a pillow of sorts. Quietly slipping off her high heels, Ms. Altman quickly jogged down the hall and returned with her digital camera. After a few quick snapshots, Teddy began to stir from the small clicks and flashes of light.

"Mom? What're you doing? Aren't you early?" he asked, drowsy and slow waking as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

Ms. Altman could only smile devilishly as she took another snapshot of her son and their still sleeping guest. "And aren't you both so adorable?"

This brought Teddy all the way back to the waking world. "Wha?" Forgetting who was lying on top of him, he quickly sat up, stretching his arm in a bid to grab the camera. "Mom! Gimme that!"

"Oh no. Not in a million years. It's just too precious." She said grinning as she quickly moved out of his reach, relishing in her accomplishment.

Rather rudely jarred awake, Billy sat up from where he'd been almost tossed off the couch to find mother and son doing something he didn't quite understand. "What--?"

"Mom! Give me the camera!" Teddy demanded as politely as possible, knowing better than to chase his own mother across the house, while she was holding her ground on the opposite side of the coffee table.

But Ms. Altman only shook her head, the devil's smile still on her lips. "No way. This going in the photo album! Maybe even something to show your friends."

This only made Teddy even more desperate for the small device, stretching his arms anew in the hoped of snagging it out of her hands. "Mom that's not funny! Now give me that!"

"Did I miss something?" Billy asked sleepily, wondering to himself if the sight of Teddy's arms growing was a figment of his drowsy imagination.

"Oh nothing." Ms. Altman said with a chuckle, dodging her son's flailing hands by mere inches as she made for the sanctuary of the hallway. "Just me collecting blackmail material, that's all."

"Not on your life. Now be nice and gimme that camera." Teddy demanded once more, stretching and twisting his arms in a final bid to get the small device from her.

But Ms. Altman gracefully danced away laughing, camera in hand as she vanished down the hall, leaving Teddy exasperated and Billy confused. His mother had never done something like that to him before. When he was a baby, it was possible but as a teenager? That was just downright strange. When Teddy turned back to face him, his arms returning to their normal length, looking all too embarrassed by the display, Billy couldn't help but laugh at him. It was just too funny.

Of course, Teddy wasn't all that amused. "Why are you laughing Kaplan? She just took pictures of us!"

Billy just chuckled, not helping but smile at Teddy's scowling face. "Calm down big fella. Let the brains out due the brawn."

"What?" he asked confused before retorting in mock offense. "Hey!"

Billy just chuckled at him, smiling before taking a deep breath and began to chant like he'd done the night before. "I wish I had the camera, I wish I had the camera, I wish I had the camera, I wish—ah." Said camera appeared in his hands, the blue orb of light dissipating before he handed the piece of technology up to the other teen, smiling. "Here ya go."

Down the hall, they could hear Ms. Altman cry out in disdain over her loss. Without leaving her room she called. "Not fair!"

"Life never is." Teddy called back, taking the camera from Billy and examining the contents with a calculating face.

Billy frowned. "What's the matter?"

Teddy was silent for a moment before raising an eyebrow at the pictures. "To be honest, these don't look half bad."

"What? Lemme see!" Billy demanded, getting to his feet only to be snagged and pulled forward into a mind-blowing kiss. Albeit brief and warm, the passion behind it wasn't missed.

Pulling back with a smile, Teddy softly let his forehead touch Billy's, speaking no louder than a mischievous whisper. "Gotcha."

It took Billy a moment to recover, but could only smile back when he did. "Haha, very funny Altman. Now what?"

"Well, it's safe to say that you skipped lunch so… you're getting something to eat." The blonde stated matter-of-factly as he guided them toward the kitchen.

"What about you?" Billy had to ask, a little confused by this. Mostly because it really didn't make all that much sense for some reason.

"I'll just eat with you then."

"What about the camera?" he asked, curious about what the blonde was going to do with it now that he had it. "Should we give it back?"

Teddy instantly scoffed, grinning like a fool. "Not a chance. She can pout about it all she wants. She'll just have live with a few less pictures in her album."

"Will she be okay with that?" Billy asked, not helping but snicker at the idea of Teddy's mother pouting like a child at her own son.

Teddy just shrugged. "She'll get over it."

Billy couldn't help but laugh at this. For some reason he couldn't help but be at ease when around Teddy and his mother. Probably because he knew that Teddy would accept him for who and what he was, no matter what happened. As Teddy guided them into the kitchen in search of dinner, he couldn't help but smile. Actually going home could wait. He just wanted to stay right where he was. For as long as possible, he would stay next to the guy who made him feel more human than he'd felt in months.

--_**Meanwhile, At the Stark Tower**_—

Anthony Edward 'Tony' Stark was seated in the large living room in his skyscraping corporate tower that could rival the Twin Towers. Not that he'd brag over such a thing. He knew better than to make a spectacle of his building when two of New York's best were lost in just a day of horror. Seated next to him was Steve Rogers, otherwise known to the world as Captain America and a hero across the nation. But instead of calmly talking about Billy and what to do about the rest of the Young Avengers, they had their eyes set on Tony's large plasma screen TV instead. On the screen, a woman, pretty and fake, spoke in a professional voice.

"Today authorities and reporters of the South American country of Chile have caught the footage of a rather large figure crossing the countryside in a display of strength and determination to head northwards with no regards to his surroundings. Government officials have indeed confirmed it to be the American menace known mostly as the Growing Man--."

Tony instantly silenced her using the mute button, scowling at the frozen image of the Growing Man stepping through a South American town. "Damn. That kid sent him all the way down there? I'm surprised he survived even completing something like that."

"Proves he's got talent, or at least lots of power. Those kids could use someone like him and his abilities." Steve said, rubbing his chin in thought at Billy's rather temporary achievement.

This only made Tony's scowl deepen, his voice raised almost to an angered yell. "You saw him this morning! He was scared stiff and probably didn't want to be in the same room as us! It's too early to say he's even hero material."

Steve only chuckled, ready and able to counter Tony's statement. "But according to Teddy he's making progress. And he's right. If he was brave enough to be around others and be perfectly stable, then he has a chance."

"I guess you're right. Should we call them up? They might want to know about their adversary's progress."

It was Steve's turn to scowl, turning his gaze back to the television. "Yes but just Nathaniel, at least for now. No way Billy's ready to get his world rocked some more. That and I doubt Teddy would let him leave the apartment. At least until he's ready to face others like himself."

"I guess that's true." The billionaire muttered as he reached over the arm of his couch for his wireless phone, quickly dialing the teen's cell phone number as if it were something he'd instantly memorized. Steve took the remote from him in order to unmute the news program as the ringing noise quickly stopped, telling both adults that he'd picked up. "Nathaniel? This is Tony Stark. Have you seen the news yet?"

The teen sounded curious and confused by the inquiry. "_No. Why?_"

"Whatever Billy did, it didn't last very long. You should have a look for yourself." Stark stated as he leaned back into his couch, eying the TV warily.

"_Channel 7, am I right?_" Nathaniel asked from the other end, his voice almost sounding strained for some reason.

He nodded before speaking, feeling foolish for thinking the boy could see him make the affirming gesture. "That's where it's broadcasting."

"_Oh no._" Nathaniel said after a few minutes of silence, his shock resounding in his voice as he spoke. "_How long will it take him to get here?_"

Stark couldn't help but sigh. "Two, possibly three days at best. Four if we're lucky. And by the looks of it, he looks pretty angry about something."

"_We need to get ready._" The kid practically sounded like an adult. It was almost sad that he wasn't one.

"We'll talk later tonight. Looks like you'll be needing our help after all." Stark said with finality, hanging up the phone to watch the rest of the news cast, both heroes left to their thoughts on what to do next.

--_**With Nathaniel**_—

He flipped his phone closed, staring at the array of TV's on the opposite side of the glass front of an electronics store. The images of the Growing Man making his way north were all over the place, playing on practically every news channel. Also watching it with him was the rest of the Young Avengers, each with their own expression of shock, amazement as well as concern for the people on the screens as well as themselves.

Seeing that he was no longer preoccupied, Kate was the first to ask the first question on their minds. "Who was it?"

When he turned to them, his expression was fairly grim and perfectly serious. "That was Mr. Stark. Turns out that by the look of it, Growing Man isn't very happy with Billy and what he did to him."

"Do we tell him?" Cassie inquired. Her concern for Billy most likely rivaled Teddy's.

Nathaniel only shook his head, trying desperately not to look away from them at the thought of his own mistake. "No. We keep this to ourselves until he's ready. Everything's been premature so far. I'm not going to mess things up by introducing two more problems into his life. Getting ready for him and Kang should be our highest priorities."

"But what if we can't beat Kang? What then?" Eli demanded. He didn't show it but he was still fairly doubtful that the great super-villain would even show up at all.

Nathaniel could only shake his head again. "I don't know. But we have to try."

"He's right. We can't let this slip past us. Too many people are depending on us to take this guy down. We have to be ready or it's game over." The blonde girl said, quickly coming to stand between Nathaniel and Eli. She had her game face on.

Eli just sneered at her. He was annoyed, as usual. "This isn't a game Cassie. We can't exactly hit the reset button."

"I know that! But at least we can give it a shot." She retorted, mentally trying to hold her ground against the older teen. "For now, we need to focus on training."

Oddly enough, Kate feigned a loud scoff at this. "Well training can wait. I'm starved! Who's hungry?"

"I am!" Cassie said with a smile, raising her hand like a child in a classroom.

Kate just smiled, laughing as she hugged the blonde girl lovingly. "That's the spirit! Eli, Tommy, you coming?"

Eli crossed his arms, his face stiff with aggravation but nodded anyway. "Fine."

"I'm in!" Tommy exclaimed immediately. Even he couldn't pass up a free meal.

"Nathaniel?"

The brunette nodded, letting himself crack a smile at the thought at a group night out. "I could use some food right now. Let's go."

They'd just started to walk away when they noticed that Tommy wasn't following them like he said he would. Instead he was focused on the TV screens that continued to show the Growing Man's rather rampant rampage. Coming back to stand by him, Nathaniel placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Tommy? You coming?"

Tommy nodded, silent before pointing at the screens and turning to the brunette. His eyes should've said it all but he voiced it anyway. "Billy did that?"

"He did. And he was exhausted afterwards." Nathaniel said with a kind smile, only for it to turn to a stern gravity that not even Tommy could ignore if he tried. "But it bought us time. Time we need. And we're going to need you both for this. Can we count on you to stick around for once?"

Tommy was silent for a moment, turning his gaze back to the screens blaring with the progress of a man over ten feet tall. When he turned back to Nathaniel, his devilish smile was back with a vengeance. "Yeah. You can count me in."

Encouraged to smile once more, Nathaniel nodded in turn before both boys turned to join their comrades for a late lunch before a long night of training with the city's finest.

Well alrighty then! Billy's on the mend, Tommy's in the fold and trouble is just around the corner for our favorite young heroes of the big city. One can only hope that by the time the Growing Man shows up for round two that they're all ready for the showdown. But one can't help but wonder: how will Billy react to the knowledge that he has a twin brother walking around? Talk about a really tense family reunion! But here's what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 4: Backlash Decisions

Growing Man's on the move, Kang's waiting in the background and Billy and Tommy… still haven't met!? What's the deal? And just how well will Billy's training go in preparation for future battles? Can he get over his fear of mortally harming others? And will he ever go face his family after being gone for almost a year? Come back for the next installment of my latest fics of the year, '_Vereor Ipsum_', in:

_**Chapter 4: Backlash Decisions!!!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Backlash Decisions

Welcome back readers! And welcome to my next round of my latest work, '_Vereor Ipsum_'! I'm glad that you showed up and trust me. It's worth the wait. Let's get things rolling shall we? And just so you guys know, I don't own 'Young Avengers' in any shape or form. Though having a Teddy and Billy poster would be stellar in my book. So with no further ado, I give you the ride of the lifetime. Enjoy!!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = telephone speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 4: Backlash Decisions

Billy hadn't expected to find himself at the old Avenger Mansion so soon. At night and surrounded by the very people he was sure he'd scared near to death earlier that morning. Teddy had said it would be a good idea for him to get used to fighting with the others, but he hadn't said how soon they'd be trying it out. From his observations, their uniforms were still the same from two nights ago, though the visual of seeing them this way again made him wince. Their first encounter wasn't exactly a pleasant one. But since Teddy was there and had promised to help him, he could only hope for the best now that there was no turning back.

Teddy's large hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thought. "You ready? We can always give this another day."

Billy shook his head, looking at Teddy with determined eyes of striking hazel brown. A shade of the boy's eyes that Teddy hadn't noticed before. "No. I know that this morning wasn't anyone's fault and that I probably should've told you that I'd run away from home. But I need to stop running. Even if it's from people who're trying their best to be my friends and all I'm doing is pushing them away. That's… that's something I've never really had before."

"Pushed people away?" Teddy asked, sounding truly curious.

Billy chuckled, shaking his head. "No, not that. Friends."

If Teddy was shocked, Billy didn't see. "Oh. Well, we're here now aren't we?"

"Yeah. That's true." He whispered, mostly to himself.

After a moment of pure silence, Teddy broke it again. "So, you're really up to this?"

"Now or never."

Taking a deep breath, Billy nodded at Teddy, who immediately took the lead as they finally approached the group of gathered masked heroes. For Billy, it was like two nights ago all over again, only now he was approaching rather than trying to get away. Something he wasn't planning on doing without a good reason. If he was going to face his fears, it was going to be with one at a time. Teddy was dressed in his uniform from two nights ago while Billy was dressed simply in jeans, his sneakers and a hoodie. It was déjà vu all over again.

Teddy didn't hesitate to greet the group, waving and smiling as he did. "Hey guys. You just get here?"

"Yeah. We were just discussing training pairs. Glad you guys could make it." Nathaniel said, returning the smile. He was dressed in his armor with the helmet off. Turning to Billy, the smile wavered a little but he tried to hold it as he spoke. "Um… Billy? About this morning I--."

Billy almost didn't cut him off. "I-it's okay. You don't have to apologize. I was just afraid, that's all. But hopefully, all of this will change that."

"Are you sure? This could get rough you know." Nathaniel said, not helping but smile and chuckle at how quickly he'd been forgiven.

This time Billy's expression hardened a little. His determination was clear in both his eyes and his voice. "I know. But I have to try right? I can't remain in the dark about myself forever."

Nathaniel almost chuckled at this change. Almost. The last thing he wanted was another reason for Billy to overreact. So instead he just smiled and nodded. "True enough. Kate?"

"Right here!" almost instantly, the teenage girl was next to Billy and grabbed him by the arm, half leading, half dragging him towards the mansion's remains. "C'mon handsome. Let's get you in gear."

"Wha?" Billy was only able to say before Kate's enthusiasm silenced him.

Instantly in protect mode, Teddy attempted to follow saying. "Hey wait a sec--."

Only for Nathaniel to quickly grab his bulky arm, butting in on his plan to follow the two into the manor. "Whoa! One minute there big guy, Kate's got things covered. But we've got some things to talk about."

"Something you obviously couldn't mention over the phone." Teddy said, giving the other boy a rather serious stare. One that Nathaniel could swear was poking him full of holes.

Instead he nodded, his expression grim. "Tommy's back in town and Growing Man's on a rampage from the south. The far, far south."

Teddy's surprise was genuine, almost making him want to fall over in shock. He knew the white haired menace would come back, but not this soon. Getting over his state of disbelief, Teddy's eyes quickly narrowed. "Tommy? He's back? Since when?"

"Since this afternoon, after we left from this morning's… encounter. And Growing Man was last seen on the and all over the news waltzing through a South American village along the Andes Mountains. And he's headed back here. Fast."

Now Teddy couldn't help but feel concerned. Things were moving way too fast. Far too fast for him to really wrap his head around in one sitting. "And training should help us get ready for when he show up. Right?"

The brunette nodded, still grim faced. "On the mark. We have to be ready. And so does Billy. Only I'll be sure we go slowly this time. We all will. Okay?"

"What about Tommy? Does he--?" the blonde began to say before Nathaniel quickly cut him off.

"We informed him of our new developments. Needless to say he really wants to meet his lost sibling. But I convinced him to back off for now. Scout out Growing Man's progress before the press does. That should keep him occupied for the next couple of days."

Teddy sighed. It was official: things had gotten way out of hand way too fast. But they had to cope. He didn't like keeping things from Billy. Not when he'd gotten this far into gaining the boy's trust. "I can only hope. I don't like keeping this from Billy. We've been so honest with him so far. Why lie now?"

Looking around, Teddy could see that none of his fellow teammates cared for the idea either as Nathaniel kept going. "I know that you don't like this. But neither do I. for now, we'll just get him up to speed before Growing Man shows up to crash things. Are you up to it?"

Teddy's face went hard. Even if he had to lie to Billy, he wouldn't go back on his promise. Ever. "He needs me. I promised to help him after all. I can't go back on that."

Nathaniel and the others smiled their understanding. No matter what happened, they would help their new friend with getting up to speed. Almost on cue, Captain America stepped forward by saying. "Good to know. Then let's get started on some exercises that might help."

--_**Meanwhile, Inside the Manor**_—

Billy couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Who wouldn't when there was a seriously overly happy teenage girl in the same room as you, just waiting for you to try on something she made with her own hands? And Kate was _seriously_ overexcited about him and the clothing she'd rather forcefully shoved into his hands. And he knew that his face was probably as red as a tomato by now.

Somehow finding his voice, which turned out to be somewhere between actually talking and a whisper, Billy finally spoke. "Are you sure you want to be in here? I'm not sure I like people watching me dress. Much less girls."

Smiling a bit too happily, Kate just chuckled like he'd said something funny. "Oh c'mon Billy! It's okay to change out in front of me. I need to see if the outfit I made for you fits right."

"No, seriously. Do you really have to be in here? I know this is a locker room but… I think I'd rather be a gentleman about this." He said, hoping that he sounded a bit more serious than before.

Kate nodded sagely, apparently getting the hint as she turned to leave. "You are at that. Call me when you're done. We might have to refit it if it doesn't seem right."

"I'll keep that in mind." He muttered to himself finally turning away from the door.

Reassured that Kate wasn't in the room anymore, Billy took a good long look at the outfit that Kate had practically forced into his hands. Dark navy was accented by large rectangles of shimmering gold and white on the sides stretching above and below the hips. From what he could tell, it was going to be fairly formfitting. With this was a pair of matching shoes and a belt of silver. Accompanying it was a pair of fingerless gloves with metal backing, what looked like red crystals ornamenting them, making them look like gauntlets of sorts. He wasn't given a mask, more like a headband that matched the rest of the costume, the odd circle like pattern matching that of the rectangle section. The rest was open to let his hair fly free. Lastly, if not least, the last piece turned out to be a red cape of sorts, only it seemed to be designed to act more like a shawl than anything. For all he knew it was a cloak rather than a cape. Not that he'd look good in a cape anyway. Letting out a sigh, Billy set the suit down onto a nearby bench and began to slip off his shoes. He had to try it on sometime. And Kate probably wouldn't let him leave until he did.

After a few minutes of switching clothes and thus guises, Billy found he was right: the suit was very formfitting, as well as comfortable. The metal piece that was his headband proved large enough to shield his forehead from immediate damage, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was just there for decorative purposes. Ignoring this for the moment, Billy finished his new wardrobe with the gloves and cape before taking a look in a nearby mirror. Much to even his own surprise, he looked pretty awesome. Hell, he felt awesome. He even felt confident for once in his life. Almost like he was bully proof. Not that he wanted to test that theory for real. But it still felt pretty good. Fighting the urge to smile like a fool, Billy turned back towards the door leading out of the old locker room.

"Kate? You there?" he called, wondering if the girl really was right there to jump him with something else completely random.

"Right here!" she exclaimed before stopping herself in her tracks. He could swear that she was on edge of going completely fan girl on him. "Oh. My. God. You look fabulous! I've really outdone myself this time! And everything fits perfect! I scored big time!"

"Uh yeah, about that. Just how did you know it would fit me?" he had to ask, since the thought had crossed his mind nearly two dozen times since he'd first started putting it on. He could almost swear it fit a bit too well.

"Oh you know. I've got good eyes." The raven haired girl said slyly, once again coming to be next to him, slipping her arm around his. "But don't worry. I've already got my sights on a different guy. Just like you do."

Billy thought he'd faint as he stammered. "W-what? I--!"

"Oh c'mon Billy. As if I haven't seen how he looks at you. It's so obvious it's a wonder you aren't dating yet." When she finally noticed how unusually pale he'd become, her giddy attitude switched to concern, her voice soft. "Did I say something wrong?"

Her question seemed enough to pull Billy back to reality. He shook his head before quickly averting his eyes, almost feeling guilty for some reason. "I-it's okay. I'm… not used to others knowing about that."

The smile was back, only now it had a kind air to it. "Ah I see. Well then zip goes the lips then. I won't tell if you won't."

"Sounds good." He said, practically sagging with relief as they walked back to the front grounds of the estate. After a moment or two, Billy spoke up again. "Kate? Thanks."

The girl just laughed, patting him on the arm as they walked. "No need to thank me. Let's just call it a welcoming gift. We've even been thinking of a name for you."

"Y-yeah, Teddy mentioned that. Any chance I've got a say in that? Since you kinda already made this uniform for me, pretty much without my knowledge in fact."

Kate simply let out a noise of amusement. "Chill, it's not like we're pushing you out of the nest before you can fly. One step at a time okay?"

"Y-yeah." _One step at a time… sounds easy enough to me._ He thought as he was half led, half dragged back outside to where the others were gathered. He was already feeling a blush rise up his neck as they turned to look at him. Mostly because Teddy looked like he was looking at something foreign, but also at something extraordinary. It almost made him feel foolish.

But instead of something derisive like he expected, Teddy suddenly grinned, looking like he was on edge of laughing. "Looks good, almost too good. It really suits you Billy. Thanks Kate, another job well done."

"Why thank you!" she said cheerily. So much so Billy nearly winced.

"You ready for your first training session Billy?" the Captain quickly cut in, hoping that distracting him would ease his nerves a little.

As expected, Billy relaxed, but only a little. "Uh, yeah. Where do we start?"

"Right over there, where there's more space." Nathaniel said, pointing to the area on the edge of the house, leading to a clear area that was further away from the street. He continued as he put his helmet on. "Any chance you can fill us in on what you can do exactly?"

Billy nodded, almost looking unsure of where to start. "To be honest, quite a few things actually. Need a demo?"

"Go right ahead." The brunette said, quickly walking to the other side of the clearing as if to claim it as their 'work' area. "Think of me as your first opponent."

Billy couldn't help but hesitate. He couldn't exactly call himself teammate friendly. "Are you sure? From what I know, I pack a pretty wild punch."

"If Teddy can take it, then so can I." Iron Lad said coolly, sounding almost cocky for once. "C'mon then. Let's see what you've got."

"Okay. You asked for it." Billy muttered, moving away from the rest of the group to take his own position on the clearing's edge.

Both boys took their stances, Iron Lad in his futuristic armor, while Billy stood in his new outfit. Taking one deep breath, Billy let the blue energy flow to his eyes and hands as Iron Lad came running at him. At the last moment, Iron Lad's rockets kicked in, propelling him forward so that his punch would have more kick. What he didn't expect to happen was for Billy to duck and send him flying into a nearby tree with a single shot of blue energy. Though oddly enough, Iron Lad found that he hadn't even been hit hard enough to bruise. More like he'd just been swiftly and rather roughly pushed aside rather than tossed. Either way, it still stung.

Getting to his feet and fighting against a bush or two Nathaniel rubbed his side as he stepped back into the clearing. "Okay. Let's try that again."

"You're the one who made it easy. Are you sure that's all you have?" Billy inquired, truly wondering if the other teen had actually tried to hit him.

"Oh you're in for it now." Iron Lad said, backing away before speaking again. "Patriot? A little help if you will?"

As Eli began to walk forward, Teddy decided to speak up again. "Uh guys--."

Only for Kate to cut him off, placing a hand on his shoulder, her voice low and soothing as she eyed the two boys already in the clearing. "Chill out Ted. Let's just see how he does before you go jumping to his rescue."

Teddy hesitated but knew she was right. He couldn't exactly be Billy's shield all the time, even if instinct was strongly telling him to help the teen anyway. Reluctantly he stayed put, half curious about how well Billy would do against multiple opponents. As Patriot moved forward to take a stance of his own, Teddy was surprised to see Billy's eyes were already scanning. Actually calculating his chances and probably coming up with strategies. Either this Billy had been hiding the whole time, or this entire endeavor was making him come out of his shell some more.

Shield strapped to his arm, Patriot was the first to strike. Only this time, something new happened: Billy muttered something under his breath and in a quick but small flash of light, there was a rather long stick in his hands, with which he quickly blocked Patriot's attempt to run him over. Eyes glowing dangerously, Patriot found it was a little too late to pull away when he was tossed away by a sudden burst of electricity into the nearby brush. Seeing his chance, Iron Lad once again came flying at Billy, hands curled into fists only to find his opponent was suddenly missing. Quickly braking to avoid hitting a tree for the second time, he looked around before looking up, to find Billy was above him and was coming back down. This time it was his turn to get hit by the magic stick as he was once again sent sideways and into yet another tree.

Lightly levitating above the ground for a moment before coming down again, Billy couldn't help but worry if he'd overdone it somehow. He'd practiced such moves mostly by himself or against a druggie bent on beating him up thinking in his fuzzy delusions that he was going to steal the guy's stash of drugs. Such skills came particularly handy when he was almost cornered by a bunch of street gang members. One could say they were smart enough to leave him well alone after that. But the guys he'd just taken down weren't gangsters or druggies. They were his friends and he couldn't help but fear that he might've gone a little too far. He had to fight to keep himself from running over like he wanted to.

"Hey. You guys okay?" he called, hating the fact that he sounded timid again. "I didn't overdo it did I?"

Eli rose to his feet, rubbing his back as he pulled his shield out of a bush. "Whoa. You're lucky I don't have hair."

Somewhere to the side, Kate and Cassie were fighting down explosive chuckles at the involuntary pun, while Billy tried not to smile shyly.

Off to the side, Nathaniel was getting to his feet, wincing as a stabbing pain echoed from his ribs. "Ow. Yeah, now that's what I was talking about. The stick thing's a first though. Where the hell did that come from anyway?"

Billy just shrugged casually at the inquiry. "I found it a few months back. Seemed like something worth using in fights, since I don't exactly care for the sharp stuff like you guys are. I guess I was right."

"Good enough. You seem to know how to use it. You gonna clue us in on that?" Eli growled, sounding a bit more annoying than usual.

"Nothing too major. Usually some delusional pothead or crack addict who thought I was after their stash. Which I clearly wasn't." he said, clearly disgusted by the thought. "Sometimes talking doesn't exactly do the trick."

"I see. Good enough for us. You did good for your first test. Let's try a different strategy then. Girls? Did you want a go?" the older hero inquired, looking at the rest of the group in question. Teddy was about to protest when he was immediately cut off. Again.

"Oh, oh! Me, me!" Cassie exclaimed, smiling widely to increase her fervor. She quite clearly wanted to be included in the exercise.

Laughing whole-heartedly at this, Cap didn't hesitate to nod his approval. "Cassie. You can go next since you're so enthusiastic."

As Iron Lad and Patriot went to go sit down while Cassie came forward, Billy backed up to give the younger blonde some space. He couldn't help but smile nervously. "I'm not much for hitting girls but… let the best hero win?"

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet." She said, also smiling as she let herself grow fifteen feet high and used a hand to snatch him off of the ground.

"I guess not." He grunted from within her large fist, only to smile nervously again, almost like he was about to do something he didn't like. "But neither have you."

Mere seconds later, Billy was covered in sparks of blue electricity. The power of the shock wasn't enough to burn, but it still was enough to cause the younger teen pain. Making her let him go and shake her hand in surprise. "Ow! That stung. I'll get you for that."

Billy smiled back at her, avoiding her giant hands, calling out his response. "You'll need to catch me first."

"We'll remember that before we take the win." Kate said in a confident voice, somehow appearing on the ground below him, bow and arrow cocked and ready.

Dodging both arrows and Cassie's giant hands, Billy swooped between the two arsenals, quickly creating a lasso with some of the energy gathered in his staff and making it wrap around one of Cassie's wrists. What he hadn't expected her to do was tug, making him fly forward involuntarily but was able to cut away at the last moment, before her hand was able to snatch him out of the air again. Twisting and turning in the air, Billy was thinking fast. He had to take down both his opponents, preferably without hurting them. As another volley of arrows came his way, Billy didn't even think, he simply reacted. Next thing he knew, he had a transparent layer of blue energy surrounding him, easily knocking the projectiles aside. But it wasn't enough to stop Stature's rather large hand from grabbing onto it like a ball made of rubber.

He should've been able to keep going. He should've been able to hold out a bit longer than usual. But the strain of it all seemed to be a bit much as the shield began to fail and Billy began to feel a bit faint for some reason. Forcing himself to concentrate, Billy fought away the need to become ground bound and made his shield become something else. Twisting a little, the blue orb quickly regressed into a ball in front of him before growing into a clawed hand, its energy made fingers intertwining with Cassie's. Somehow still in midair, Billy put all the force he thought necessary into the energy hand, causing the blonde to lose her balance and effectively fall to the ground. But now before he felt himself starting to fall.

"BILLY!" he heard Teddy yell out, the familiar arms of the blonde somehow coming underneath him before he hit the cold, hard dirt. "Billy? Billy, say something! Are you okay? Speak to me!"

His vision was blurred but he could make out Teddy's face pretty well. Everything else was just spinning, making him dizzy. "Okay… maybe I overdid it that time."

"Oh thank God. What happened? How do you feel?"

"A little lightheaded. Could be that I did too much way too fast." Billy murmured, as the urge to take a nap getting a stronger by the second but knew better than to give in.

"Could be?" Teddy exclaimed, sounding astounded but decided to leave it well alone, eyeing the others in hidden rage. "I'm not going to argue with you. You're taking a break and then we're _all _going to discuss what happens next."

"Yes Dad." Billy said, chuckling. He couldn't help it. It was just too amusing to him for some reason.

Teddy just scowled, giving the raven haired teen a shake as he spoke. "I'm serious. You could've been hurt if I hadn't caught you."

"I know, I know. Just… give me a minute." Billy grumbled as Teddy set him down on the ground, giving the boy some room to breathe.

A few moments later, Cassie's voice came from his right, making him look up at her. She looked miserable. "Billy? What exactly happened just now? I didn't hurt you did I?"

"What? No! No, I … just haven't figured out how to regulate my energy output. Or it could've been the fact I was doing more the two things at once." He said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "That shield and hand thing was a first though."

Reassured that he was indeed okay, Cassie gave both boys a glowing smile. "Could've fooled us. Either way, take five for now. We can start again when you're ready okay?"

"Yeah." He managed to say before she was too far away to hear. After a period of pure silence, he turned to Teddy, looking very confused. "Is she always that positive?"

Teddy just chuckled, shaking his head. "Pretty much. Can you stand?"

"Probably." Billy said, attempting to rise to his feet, only for the world to start spinning all over again. "Whoa. Maybe not."

Helping him sit down again before sitting down himself, Teddy couldn't help but smile a little at how far Billy had gotten. "You did good for your first try. How do you feel?"

Billy rubbed his eyes, hoping his vision would go back to normal. "A little dizzy but it's not as bad as it was two minutes ago. I should be fine in a minute."

"Good to know. But it still seems like you pushed yourself a bit too hard."

"I-it's okay. Seriously, I'm fine. I just overdid it a little. That's all."

This time, Teddy's expression was grim. He was in all-business mode. "Hm. Well saying 'you overdid it' won't work every time Billy." After a moment, the grim expression changed to a smile that made Billy turn beet red. "All I saw was talent and room for improvement. Okay?"

"Y-yeah." Billy coughed, hoping that the blush would die down really soon. "Right. So what's next?"

"Well, we could work on this ability of energy manipulation that you seem to have." Teddy said musingly, giving the boy an inquiring look. "Any chance you know how that works?"

Billy shook his head with a sigh. "Not really. Only that some stuff's automatic, like I think about it and it happens, while the rest of the time I need to chant what I want. It's kinda complex."

"Well complex or not, we're going to help you get over those hurdles. Ready?" Teddy asked, reaching out a hand to help the boy up. A hand that Billy took, the confident smile back on his lips as he stood up straight, facing his new opponent with newfound fervor.

"When you are."

--_**Three Days Later**_—

It took only two nights of practice for Billy's skills to improve more than they'd ever done before. As well as two days of solitary practice while Teddy and the rest of the team was off at school. Which included making inanimate things, like books, chairs and such, levitate and energy manipulation like shielding and other forms of energy made limbs. At one point, he nearly sent a book through a window, and the glass that made it but luckily only made it crack and splinter. Just in time for both the apartment's inhabitants to come home and see the damage as it happened. In a panic and letting out a thousand 'I'm sorry's, Billy nearly sent a few more objects into the walls before Teddy was able to calm him down. With some more reassurance and encouragement, Billy was able to easily fix the damaged window before scurrying off to hide in Teddy's room. Teddy tried to convince him to come out of the corner where he'd purposefully stuffed himself but refused. It was bad enough he'd almost damaged something that wasn't even his. He didn't want to become too much of a burden by making things worse, simply because he was trying to better his skills.

He almost didn't notice that he wasn't alone until the bedroom door closed with a small click, making him glance over his shoulder to find someone unexpected. Standing there, giving him a look of concern and perplexity was Ms. Altman.

"Billy? Are you feeling alright? Teddy said that he couldn't get you to come out."

He turned away, practically planting his forehead against the wall. "Nothing. I… I just want to be alone is all."

"There's no need to feel guilty over what you did. You were able to fix the damage and no one was hurt. So why don't you--?"

"But what if I had hurt someone? You? Or Teddy? Some innocent bystander who just wanted to go about their day like nothing was wrong? What if--?"

"You're thinking only about the negative side of all this. Have you ever thought about the benefits, the positive aspects of your talents?"

He could only blink. Of all the things, that was one of the few things he'd actually not thought about. Billy knew he was smart. Smart enough to be considered one of the smarter kids in his class but this? This was ridiculous. Of all the things he hadn't thought about. Could he think positive about a powerful ability capable of turning people into burnt crisps? Was something like that possible at all? He didn't move. He didn't dare to since his mind was trying to process what'd just been proposed to him. If Ms. Altman left or just kept sitting there, he didn't know or care. He needed to think, and he kinda needed to be alone to do it. Well, most of the time anyway.

Billy didn't notice that passage of time until Teddy placed a large hand on his shoulder, effectively bringing him back to reality, making him jump and turn. Once he saw who it was, he immediately relaxed. To see the blonde smiling at him again, it was refreshing, even before he started speaking.

"It's pretty late. Are you sure you don't want to eat something?" he inquired, giving the other teen a questioning look.

He blinked. _Just how long have I been sitting here?_ He thought but dismissed it. Teddy was giving him a worried look again. Hoping to send that look away, Billy smiled back at him, truly wishing it was enough to ease his worries. "Food sounds nice right now."

Teddy chuckled softly, looking relieved at his response. "Right then. Does this mean you're done moping?"

"For now. I just… overreacted I guess." Billy muttered sheepishly, taking Teddy's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. He hid the stinging pain in his legs as both boys calmly exited the room to head towards the kitchen.

Unaware of much else, Teddy just let his smile become a grin as they walked. "But you still did pretty well. I honestly didn't know a book could do that to a window pane before."

"You don't need to remind me." He grumbled, sounding fairly indignant at the reminder.

Teddy snickered as he opened the fridge. "Sorry. Beef?"

"Yes, please. I think I could use something with flavor."

"And what? I don't have flavor?" the blonde asked, feigning shock and insult. Hell he was even pouting about it.

"Oh you've got plenty." Billy said between laughs, Teddy turning away as he put a plate together for him. "I wonder what my parents would think of you."

"What would they think of me?" Teddy asked, not looking up. His voice said he was honestly curious about this.

"I don't know. Nice for one, kind, considerate, polite and a few other things that I can probably think of off the top of my head."

Once again Teddy pretended to be shocked by his words. "I'm polite and considerate? I had no idea."

"Oh shut up. You are and you know it." Billy said, rolling his eyes, calmly waiting as he sat at the counter stool. His stomach was protesting against being ignored for so long.

Teddy simply nodded, pulling the plate from the microwave as it went off. "That I am. One beef, blue plate special, prepped and ready for your enjoyment."

Billy scoffed, smirking smugly. So much so, Teddy could almost swear that it was Tommy seated in front of him rather than Billy. "This wasn't a diner the last time I checked. The manager has good taste in waiters."

"Okay now you're pulling my leg." Teddy muttered, not sounding amused even though he was still smiling. He just couldn't help it.

Unperturbed Billy continued between bites. "And now matter what they call it, the plate is never blue."

"Alright. That's it. Give me that back and you'll get your blue plate." Teddy snarled, arms stretching to snatch the plate away.

But Billy was able to pull it out of his reach before the blonde's hands could even grasp it, shielding it as he laughed. "Hey no way! I was kidding and you know it."

If only Teddy didn't have that devious look on his face. "Just eat then dammit. Before I really do take it from you."

"You wouldn't." Billy seriously hoped he wouldn't. But Teddy was back to that evil smile of his. A smile that only meant he was in for a long night.

"Try me."

The two boys spent the next fifteen minutes laughing and having honest fun before they settled down to clean up after themselves and taking turns in the shower. For the past few days, Billy just couldn't bring himself to reoccupy the couch. It wasn't that it wasn't uncomfortable, no that thing was comfy as hell. But it didn't brush away the nightmares like annoying wasps like Teddy could. He didn't want to think about those images right now. Lying there in bed, Teddy spooned against his back and his nose almost purposefully poking into his hair, Billy felt reassured that if the nightmares did return, Teddy would be there to send them away.

--_**Meanwhile, Elsewhere**_—

If now wasn't like any other, it was definitely now. Tommy was bored out of his frickin' mind and he was just itching to run to anywhere except where he was. Not that Mexico wasn't interesting or anything. He just didn't want to watch a giant man take his sweet ol' time crossing the desert country like it was a late afternoon walk. For all he knew, the stupid android was probably singing '_Domo Arigatou Mr. Roboto_' to itself to pass the time. Though he couldn't help but start to hum the tune to himself as he sat on a large rock, staring up at the night sky as the futuristic automaton grew further and further away. After a while, Tommy got up and easily caught up to it. Not that he really had to try. All he had to do was just keep track of it like Nathaniel told him to, making sure to get back in time to warn them of its return. But besides this tedious task of sitting, waiting and the occasional refreshing sprint, Tommy 'Speed' Shepherd was bored beyond tears. And if he didn't get to do something interesting soon, he was sure to give the brunette back home an earful about it.

Just when he'd thought that things were going to be repetitively boring, Tommy noticed something odd about the giant robot within his sights. It wasn't moving so slowly anymore, instead it was picking up the pace. Like it actually had a place to be, it actually had something to do, better yet, it had someone to see. Very rarely did Tommy have reason to feel much besides anger for his captors, or confidence over his looks. Now, he felt fearful. Mostly because he had a reason to be afraid: afraid of what the future might bring. A future, that he definitely didn't want to witness, where his unsuspecting, innocent little brother might become a whole lot less than a brother and more like that of a cold, lifeless corpse.

And that was something he just couldn't have. Especially not after the way Kate had not so innocently hinted but rather bluntly explained that Teddy was becoming particularly close to Billy. Though he himself hadn't exactly had a good life, he wasn't about to let a giant walking tin can ruin the happiness of his friends. Much less that of a sibling he hadn't even met yet. Hell, if he could slow the oversized soda dispenser down by just a few hours, then maybe it would give his friends a bit more time. As he ran forward to place himself in the behemoth's path, Tommy could only hope his efforts would be worth the time gained.

--_**The Next Day, In New York**_—

Teddy had gone to school while his mother had gone to work. Billy, however, didn't stay home like they knew he would. Instead, Billy dared to venture the streets, using mostly alleys and rarely used streets to get around. Easily avoiding crowds and cops alike like he'd done for a little over half a year. For all he knew, his face was still plastered all over the missing person's bulletin boards by his overly concerned adoptive parents. He couldn't hate them, even now. His image being submitted to the police was just proof that they cared and they couldn't help but wonder what'd happened to their oldest son. Even if he didn't want to be found, they wanted to sort out whatever had gone wrong. Or at least what they thought had gone wrong.

The only thing he needed to decide now was whether or not now was a good time to face them, to show them why he'd run away. If it was a good thing that he was going to confess just what he'd been up to until now. He could only hope that they reacted well, like normal parents should rather than like overly educated people. Only now it felt like he was just wandering around for now reason, though the crispness of the air was helping ease his mood a little. He needed a break. Even if he forgot why he'd left Teddy's apartment for a few moments, it still felt good to not really think about much of anything. Before he knew it, he was in another alleyway, facing the familiar buildings of his neighborhood and the weight of his guilt came down on him again like a heavy blanket.

He forced himself to breathe. _I can do this._ He thought, trying to calm his nerves and barely succeeding. _I can do this. It's as easy as cake. Nothin' to it. I can do this._ Taking one last deep breathe, Billy stepped into the sun and the sidewalk, instinctively keeping an eye out of a random cop car that might creep up on him. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, Billy started calmly walking down the street, moving casually enough to be deemed normal but fast enough to go unnoticed. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized and forced to bolt before he needed to. It felt good to be around familiar things again. Now if only something about the area didn't feel so… strange. Like something was out of place. Out of phase with everything else that made sense. A second ago, there were people all over the place. Now there were none. This immediately raised some red flags as Billy looked all around, and found that he was alone on the street. Not even cars were coming through to whiz past to their destinations. He didn't know what it was, but something was wrong and he didn't like it.

_I've got to get out of here._ Was the first thought that sprang into his mind. Instinct was overtaking logic in leaps and bounds that he couldn't control. He had to get back to Teddy's place before something happened. Despite the last few days of training, Billy wasn't exactly confident that he was skilled enough to take on anything by himself. Turning around to go back the way he'd come, Billy found something very unexpected blocking his path. Standing there, plain as day, armor and all was Kang the Conqueror. Billy felt time stop as his blood froze in his veins, chills of fear and panic going up and down his spine. He definitely couldn't take this guy by himself. He was a sitting duck.

Completely blithe by his lack of response, the futuristic madman didn't hesitate to speak first. "You've foiled my plans for the last time boy. Of that I'll be sure to prevent."

Billy didn't think. He didn't need to. All he did was react and suddenly there was dust and rubble flying everywhere, the shockwave of the explosion caused by his lightening ability surely strong enough to rock the city a bit. Already above the whoosh of falling debris he could hear car alarms blaring from all over. But he didn't wait to see the results of his actions, instead turning and quickly running for all he was worth. He couldn't take to the skies since he was sure that Kang would just follow him. He had to get away as fast as possible before of the maniac could catch his bearings. If he was still in one piece that is. But Billy wasn't about to look back and find out.

_I have to find the others. I have to get help. I have to get out of here and get help. Find Teddy right stinkin' now. Find somebody. Anybody._ He thought, this new string of purpose repeating like a broken record as he ran for what felt like hours when he knew was just a few minutes of sprinting. After a few blocks, still hidden from view in the alleyways he'd come to find so protective from the public eye, Billy finally came to a stop. And for good reason since his lungs were burning and his legs were starting to scream at him. Taking a quick look around, not that he really needed to, Billy didn't hesitate to take refuge amongst a few trash bins hugging the side of a large dumpster. His upper torso was coated in a thin layer of dust and dirt by now, so hiding in the garbage wasn't exactly something he was concerned with. Taking the clean edge of his sleeve, Billy covered his nose and mouth so that breathing would be bearable as he fought not to breathe too loudly. He didn't want to ruin his chances of escape if the madman was actually looking for him.

Casting a spell was out of the question since actually casting it meant he would glow like a light bulb without the socket. Kicking himself for not thinking more clearly about his rather impromptu contingency plan, Billy resolved to being surrounded by metal cans and hidden by black trash bags full of he didn't want to know what. He could only hope that someone super powered besides Kang had noticed both the explosion and the huge cloud of dust he'd created before bolting. He seriously hoped that backup would come soon. Sitting amongst the trash for the next few hours wasn't exactly the best way to spend a day.

--_**With Tommy**_—

So far his attempts to stop they mechanical monster had been pretty much for nothing it seemed. But at least he'd slowed the thing down by at least half a day. That was good enough, even making one of its feet blow up was fairly amusing. Fairly. Mostly because it just started to grow back just as soon as he backed off. When it tried to step on him out of revenge for the loss of its foot, Tommy just blew that one up too. Only to be frustrated that it was going to grow back also. So he simply blew up one of its hands out of boredom. After doing this repeatedly for about four hours or so, Tommy was quickly bored by this rather repetitive action. But it still achieved the goal in mind: it was late afternoon by the time it crossed the border into Texas. If he was really up to it, he would start the process again once it got to West Virginia or something. All for the sake of slowing it down some more. He could only hope that what he'd done already was enough to keep it from going too far too fast. For now, he'd simply wait until it was almost a few miles away before attempting to catch up with it.

--_**Meanwhile, In New York**_—

Teddy had been sitting in his high school math class when the whole place shook. He knew from basic knowledge that New York City didn't get earthquakes for no apparent reason besides plate tectonics. Which was something that just didn't happen in the northeastern part of the US. Like a majority of his fellow students, Teddy rose to his seat and looked out the window to find something rather unusual. A huge cloud of brown colored dust rose into the air, quickly dissipating as something rose up from the ground and swiftly vanished into the sky. But Teddy's eyes had a pretty good idea of what, or rather who, it'd been. And it definitely wasn't Billy. The boy had already shown reluctance to fly in the daytime, and it wasn't Nathaniel since that guy always laid low when they weren't roaming around stopping crime. That only happened at night when no one else was really around to see them.

_It has to be Kang. But why is he all the way over there? That's nowhere near where--._ It dawned on him like he'd been slapped in the face. Kate, Cassie and Eli all went to their own schools and they weren't dump enough to skip out and draw attention. Captain America and Iron Man were both at Stark Corporations and Billy….

_Billy should be at home. Could it be that he--?_ He didn't want to think about it. Kang had retreated just a bit too quickly for Billy to be dead. This led him to the conclusion that the spell casting boy was most likely either injured or hiding. Teddy hoped to the gods above that it was the latter of the two. It wasn't in Teddy's nature to skip school, but if Billy was in trouble and needed help, he was willing to let it go for now. Looking at the clock, Teddy was easily able to calculate that his class only had a few minutes to go anyway. Quickly gathering his things and stuffing them into his backpack, Teddy bolted from the room and down the hall before anyone noticed to protest. As soon as he was out of the building and out the front gates, Teddy was already on his cell phone, waiting for someone, anyone, at his apartment to pick it up. When he got the answering machine after two tries, he cursed under his breath. Billy had left the house. But the question was why?

"Teddy!" looking around, he found two of his teammates had already found him, both boys looking just as concerned as he did.

"Eli! Nathaniel! Where's Kate and Cassie?" he asked in turn once they were close enough to talk normally.

Nathaniel just shook his head. "We're not sure by they're probably trying to get over here as fast as they can. What just happened? Do you know?"

Teddy almost winced, his friends didn't know what'd just happened. "No but I think I've got a good idea. It was Kang, and he's probably pissed. And I've tried calling Billy but he's not picking up. Not to mention the fact that we have no idea what his cell phone number is. Much less if he even has a cell phone! God I was so stupid not to ask him about that!"

"We'll have time to play the 'blame game' later Teddy. Right now we have to get everyone assembled and find out where Billy is. If he's smart, he won't be far off." Eli growled as they moved closer, shielding their conversation from the agitated crowd.

"I saw Kang leave pretty fast. He knows better than to stick around and make a scene out of all this. We need to move." If his face didn't say it, his voice definitely showed his concern. He wanted to find Billy. And fast.

Nathaniel didn't argue this logic. "We're right behind you Teddy. I won't argue if you want to take point on this."

"Are you sure you saw Kang leave?" Eli inquired, truly curious in as to how Teddy knew it was even Kang at all.

Teddy's face hardened, almost to where he was glaring at the teen. "I'm positive. I'm sure the rest of my school would have if they had eyes like mine."

Eli winced, instantly regretting bringing it up. "Oh yeah. Shape shifter. Got it."

Without another word, the three boys were already running down the street, heading in the opposite direction of the majority of the crowds. They were practically on scene twenty minutes later, Nathaniel prepped and ready as Iron Lad while Teddy and Eli had quickly gotten changed in a fairly clean alleyway before taking off in their new guises. All three boys were there within mere minutes to find that Kang was indeed gone and that the new car sized crater in the sidewalk was drawing a crowd. So far, with no sign of Billy. As if on cue, Kate and Cassie appeared on a rooftop across the street from them, waving them over once the two girls noticed that they weren't alone.

Once gathered on the rooftop and away from the public eye, Kate was the first to ask the question on everyone's mind. "Any idea what happened here? The kids at my school are starting to think it's another terrorist attack or something."

Nathaniel shook his head, eyeing the crater in the street below. "No but we think that Billy might be involved."

"Billy? What? Isn't he at your place Teddy?" Cassie asked since that was basically where Billy always was.

Teddy nodded, glancing left and right for any sign of the boy in question. "He was but I think he left for some reason. Now we just need to find him before Kang does."

"Kang? Here? How? He shouldn't be anywhere near here!" Kate exclaimed, almost sounding furious. If she was a cat, she'd be spitting.

"He probably waited until Billy was out in the open before he struck. Most likely as a bid for revenge for sending his favorite toy, quite literally to the ends of the earth if that's what this is about."

"Any idea where he might be?" Cassie asked,

"No, none. But we all know he's smart. He probably won't be far off. We have to find him before Kang, or the police do." Teddy said, forcing himself to stay put. He was itching to start the search already.

"Why the police?" Cassie inquired. Usually the police were the good guys.

Eli groaned. How could anyone forget something so basic? "He's a missing person remember? The cops find him and he'll go ballistic."

Finally Teddy growled in frustration, making his friends focus on him again. "Well if we're gonna find him, we need to move fast. Spread out and search everywhere. Leave nothing to chance. Billy's here and we're going to find him."

After a moment, Nathaniel spoke up, his voice as commanding as Teddy's. "You heard the man. Move out."

Avoiding the crowded streets and sticking to the hidden spaces between the buildings, the team of young heroes spread themselves out like a web, searching high and low for their missing friend. Upon finding nothing but the occasional hobo or stray cat, it was quickly understood that they had to spread out further. Much, much further if they had any chance of finding Billy. They had to keep looking. Words left unspoken, the team quickly went in their own directions, the boys sticking to the ground while Cassie and Kate scouted from above. Now by himself, Teddy was starting to get anxious over their lack of results. Over and over again, he kept questioning just in as to why Billy would leave the perfectly safe confines of his apartment. Teddy quickly shook such thoughts out of his head. He couldn't jump to conclusions. That would just make him more paranoid than he already happened to be. If he was going to help Billy, he needed to be strong and have a clear head. After a block or two of finding nothing, Teddy was shredded between giving in and giving up and searching the entire city from top to bottom.

That is until he noticed a pile of trash he'd almost overlooked in an alley he almost didn't have the patience to search. He wanted to keep going, keep looking until he came up with something, but leaving the area untouched would mean he just got lazy. He couldn't leave such a thing to chance. Eyeing both the street and the passage behind him, Teddy approached the smelly pile of garbage and pulled one of the bags away. As soon as he did, he was hit by a rather powerful bolt of blue lightening. Or at least he would have if he hadn't pulled back at the last second, nearly falling to the ground as he did.

"Billy? Billy it's me Teddy! It's okay, you can come out now." He called, cautiously getting to his feet and approaching the pile, wary of another stray shot of lightening.

Like a wraith, only covered in dirt and smelling like leftover chicken, Billy stood up, his eyes darting and his breathing fast and rushed. Sweat was already cleaning away some of the dirt on his face. He looked like he'd through a minefield. The boy was in such a panic that he almost didn't recognize Teddy until he started talking to him again.

"Billy you can calm down. It's okay. It's just me. Remember?"

Apparently he did, because his eyes immediately focused on him and he started to stutter, shaking like a leaf in a breeze. "O-oh god. Oh god. I-it was--. It was Kang he--. He just came out of nowhere and he just--."

Teddy used his stretched arms to gently pick the boy out of the garbage before pulling him forward in the hopes of calming him down. "Shh, shh. It's okay. He's gone. He left a while back. Let's get you home okay?"

Something in Billy's head seemed to click, instantly stopping his stutter. "Home? Home, yeah, home. Away from here. Not here."

"Billy?" Teddy asked, pulling back and holding the boy by the shoulders. But Billy wasn't looking at him.

Next thing he knew Billy was chanting something under his breath, between gasps of air and random spurts of words that didn't make sense. Within seconds, they were surrounded by blue light that faded to reveal they were back in Teddy's living room. Teddy didn't argue or try to make sense of Billy's muttering. He simply guided the shivering teen towards the bathroom, whispering in a kind voice. "Let's get you cleaned up okay?"

Billy finally nodded, silencing himself as he let himself be led down the hall and into the small room of tile and porcelain. He was silent all through getting his clothes off, which Teddy took with him when he exited, giving the other boy his privacy. The blonde had already seen the boy without his shirt on, seeing more would seem like pushing the boundaries. Boundaries that he didn't want to push, especially not now, with the way Billy was acting. Once again in human form as he dumped Billy's smelly clothes in a basket, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out and looking at the small screen, he kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner. It was Nathaniel and he was probably wondering where they were.

"Nathaniel? I found him."

"_Oh thank God. Is he okay? You just vanished on us we figured--._" Said the brunette from the other end, sounding truly relieved at his friend's success.

"He's fine. He's just a little shaken. Turns out it was Kang who approached him. We're at my place now." Teddy said, letting himself lean against a wall. It hadn't even been an hour and already he was tired.

For once, Nathaniel sounded surprised. "_Really? Wow. Did he--?_"

Teddy just scoffed. "Teleport? Yeah, and all before I could ask him to but that's not the issue here: I've tried talking to him and all I get is mixed nonsense. I think he's just rattled. I'm surprised that he was able to understand me at all. Why would Kang go after him like that?"

"_I don't know. But we're coming over. Kate says she has your bag._" Nathaniel said matter-of-factly. Now wasn't a good time to bring up anything else.

"Tell her I said thanks and that we'll be waiting. I need to go check on him. Bye." He shut the phone and effectively ended the call, heading back the bathroom and lightly knocking on the wood door. "Billy? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah. Sorry I scared you." He heard the boy call over the sound of running water. For some reason, he didn't sound fine.

"I'll find you some fresh clothes. The others are coming over now. Are you up to seeing them when you get out?" Teddy waited for a response, but when he got none, he fought down the urge to open the door. Instead he tried calling out again. "Billy?"

"I'll be okay." He heard Billy say, his voice a little stronger than before.

Teddy sighed in his relief. "All right. I'll be right back."

As promised, Teddy returned with a full change of clothes for Billy, silently opening the door a little to set them on the sink. He didn't want to upset Billy any further by sticking around so he quickly left and resolved himself to waiting the in the living room for the others to arrive like they said they would. After what felt like hours, the doorbell rang and Teddy was halfway there after the first ring. Taking a quick peek through the peephole mostly from practice, he was relieved to find it was his friends on the other side. He didn't hesitate to open the door.

"Anything new?" he almost demanded. This whole affair was making him anxious.

Nathaniel shook his head, frowning. "The cops believe that something under the concrete blew and made that crater that's obviously Billy's handiwork. I called Mr. Stark and assured him that we're all fine and accounted for. He wasn't too pleased to hear that Kang was the reason Billy nearly blew up half a street block but he said that they'd be over here soon."

Shutting the door as his friends spread themselves out in the living room, Teddy rubbed his eyes as he spoke rather angrily. "This has gotten out of hand. Dammit to hell Nathaniel! I'm not going to keep him the dark anymore. Its bad enough you convinced me to. And to think I listened to you!"

"Teddy there's really no need to--." The brunette began to say, practically shrinking in the blonde's presence. And no one else was willing to cut in.

"No need? NO NEED?!? Are you kidding me? What's next? The sky starts falling onto our heads? It's bad enough that Billy was traumatized today." Teddy said through gritted teeth, his skin shifting between human pink and Hulk green. "Go ahead! Tell us what to expect just as soon as we head out the door. Go on! Tell us."

"Teddy please I--." He tried to say, only to find that speaking wasn't an option.

Mostly because Teddy's eyes were also changing colors as he towered over the other teen in his rage. "More excuses? Oh c'mon Nathaniel! Are trying to make sure we don't trust you?"

"TEDDY! That's quite enough. I get it. I made a mistake but we can still fix this. Billy is fine, as you said, and Kang is nowhere near here. Meaning," Nathaniel was forced to pause from the enraged look on Teddy's face but dared to press on. "MEANING that he's still unsure of where to look, or even where to start looking next. That's proof that he's not all seeing."

Teddy took a deep breath, his form stabilizing, but his glare only intensified. "But we're still blind ourselves Nathaniel. You won't even say what the hell it is that he wants here! And I promised Billy I'd help him. I can't do that if you're holding out on us and you're putting him in danger. Do you want to be responsible for getting him killed?"

"No. No I don't. But I'm not going to abandon you guys either. I might've brought this on you guys, but I'm not going to leave you alone to deal with it by yourselves." The brunette said, trying to sound sincere despite the angry shape shifter in front of him. "Teddy, I don't expect you to forgive me, but Billy's training may be crucial to when the Growing Man comes back for him. Are you going to mess with that? Or are you going to trust me? For just a little while longer, just trust me. Please."

He didn't move at first, before he finally sighed in defeat. It was bad enough that Kang was flying around. Making the team break up wasn't exactly something he wanted to be responsible for. "All right. But understand that you're on thin ice. One more slip-up and you'll find that I'm capable of being a not-so-nice guy."

"Warning noted." Nathaniel said in relief before switching to concern. Truly sincere concern for their teammate. "Where is Billy anyway?"

"Down the hall, getting dressed most likely. He was covered in dirt when I found him. I'll see if he's ready to come out." Wordlessly taking his leave, Teddy stopped in front of the bathroom door, lightly knocking with a knuckle. "Billy? You still in there?"

"Yeah." He dimly heard through the wood. "Are you still mad? I heard yelling."

Teddy winced, half hoping that the door had been thick enough to block out the noise but proved false. He didn't want Billy to get anymore upset than he probably already was. But he knew he had to answer honestly. Keeping the truth from the other boy was tearing him up as it was. "No, I'm just--. I'm mad at Nathaniel, not you. He… I--."

What he hadn't expected was for the door to open and for Billy to be standing there, in a fresh set of clothes, staring at him curiously. "You what?"

"I--." Billy's brown eyes stared back at him with such an innocent expression that Teddy simply couldn't hold back anymore. "He made me promise but, god I hate myself for agreeing, it turns out that the Growing Man is on his way back here. Likely to finish what he started. And Nathaniel is being so tightlipped about what the hell Kang wants and now all this."

Billy nodded in understanding before giving him a sly smirk. "Will you be okay? You are skipping school after all."

This caught Teddy off guard but shook it off. Now wasn't a time to be amused. His guilt for keeping the truth from the teen was still pretty strong to where he looked away. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. You're the first guy I've ever really shown my real self to and well… I guess I don't want to ruin it. This, actually."

"Uh huh. And you think that you're the only one?" the raven haired teen asked, not helping but chuckle.

"Wha?" this made Teddy look back, this time in shock. "You?"

Billy shook his head, giving the blonde a nervous smile that made his face burn. "Never. Until I met you."

It was Teddy's turn to smile, fully expressing his relief. He'd been sure that he was going to be zapped. "I guess we've both got our secrets. The others are anxious to see you. Are you up to it right now?"

"Yeah. Nathaniel and I have quite a bit to talk about." Billy growled, his expression almost unreadable as he shut the bathroom light off.

Teddy wasn't able to say much else as Billy passed him by, bare feet padding on the wood flooring as he approached the living room. The blonde got a bad feeling from the look on the teen's face as he went, his hands already letting out short bursts of electric power. A sign that Billy wasn't all too happy about being kept in the dark. Following close behind, Teddy couldn't help but feel nervous as they entered the living room, where Billy went straight for Nathaniel without so much as a word.

"Billy tha--." He wasn't able to say much more since he was suddenly in the air, held up by a magic-made fist, catching everyone off guard, including Teddy. Billy's mental grip was apparently hard enough to hinder the teen's breathing. "Ack!"

Cassie was right on him, pulling at the teen's arm in the hopes of getting him to stop making Nathaniel choke while in midair. "Billy what are you doing?!?"

"It seems you're not being very honest with us Nathaniel. Usually, I like electricity better than fire, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception." Billy growled, his right hand already alight with blue fire, making all in the room stare wide eyed in shock. Nathaniel especially as he hung suspended in the teen's grip. Needless to say, Billy was angry. "Care to spill the beans now?"

Whoa. Billy's in a bad mood. Hopefully the rest of your favorite heroes can calm him down before he does something he regrets. And it looks like Tommy's about to bite off more than he can chew. Can he really take on Growing Man by himself? One can only hope. Anyway, let's move on shall we? Here's what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 5: Convergence of Interest

Tommy's actually doing as he's told, for once, and Billy's probably having a bit of a temper tantrum. Can Tommy keep Growing Man from making an untimely appearance while the rest of the Young Avengers try to calm down a pissed off spell casting teen hell-bent on turning their leader into Barbecued Boy Wonder? Then again, hell have no wrath like… well, a spell caster scorned. Curious? Then show up for the next installment of '_Vereor Ipsum_' with:

_**Chapter 5: Convergence of Interest!!!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Convergence of Interest

Hi there and welcome back to '_Vereor Ipsum_'! I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far because it's about to get crazy. Bring the barf bags? Good because you never know if you'll need 'em. But enough of the gross stuff. Let's get down to business. I disclaim owning 'Young Avengers' in any shape or form. Though I'd love to have a poster of Teddy and Billy somehow. That'd rock my world. Anywho, no more beatin' 'round the bush. Enjoy!!

"Iii" = speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 5: Convergence of Interest

Nathaniel Richards was finding it a little hard to breathe. Mostly because he was being held up in the air by a hand composed of blue energy, and being threatened to be burned alive with another that was more physical in nature. He understood why Billy was angry with him, he really did. But choking him and threatening to kill him was a bit much. Even for Billy. This should've hinted that the spell caster was a bit tired of being led around by people he barely knew, and was trying desperately to trust. He could understand that. But the giant blue hand holding him in midair was making it hard to focus and a bit hard to breathe.

He could dimly hear Teddy trying to talk the boy down. "Billy! Please, put him down. There's no need for that. Just put him down before you kill him!"

"Oh I won't kill him." He heard Billy growl angrily. Proof he'd done something wrong yet again. "Not before we get some answers. Don't think I didn't overhear. He's holding back more than he should and I particularly want to know what it is."

"That doesn't mean you need to choke him to death. Please Billy, listen to me. Do you really want to become a murderer?"

"No." the hand dissipated, allowing Nathaniel to hit the floor, coughing. His blurry vision told him that the blue fame had faded as well, but he wasn't out of the woods yet as Billy's regret soon changed back to rage. "But that doesn't mean he isn't."

"What? What're you talking about?" he managed to rasp, Cassie quickly at his side to help him sit up.

Billy's glare held him in place, the teen's voice low and accusing. "I only saw him for a few seconds but I could tell. Nathaniel's armor is a bit too much like Kang's. And Kang looks just a tad bit too much like Nathaniel. Everybody knows that Kang never had kids, but I'm guessing that you aren't some lost son. You ARE Kang."

Everyone else in the room froze, utterly shocked by this news, Kate speaking up for the first time. "He's what? Is that possible?"

Billy simply scoffed at the question, his expression twisted into an angry sneer. "Why else would Kang be here? He's looking for his younger self. We all know Kang can't help but keep his selfish hands on the hands of time. Though it makes you wonder, what could he possibly accomplish by approaching his younger self?"

"H-he… he wanted to change his past." Nathaniel confessed after a moment of pure silence and tense waiting. He knew that Billy had him cornered and wouldn't let him get up without hearing the truth. "By helping me with my own bully problem, he tried to convince me of following the same path as him. But I stole his armor and came here for help. When I found the Avengers were disbanded and the Vision damaged, I downloaded his program and opened the Failsafe Program file. That's how I found Teddy and Eli."

"But why stay? Why not keep running? If you haven't noticed, your older self just tried to kill me!" Billy snapped, clearly none too pleased with him at the moment.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty okay to me." Eli quipped, only to get hit on the shoulder by Kate, who was giving him a disapproving look.

Billy just looked away, clearly ashamed with himself for his actions. "That's only because I panicked. Even I knew I couldn't take that guy by myself."

With Cassie's help, Nathaniel managed to get to his feet, his expression and tone of voice letting the teen know his sincerity in the matter. "And I'm glad you got away. I really am Billy. But I'd hoped that if I took my stand here, I could fend him off long enough to maybe even change what he's done to history."

"Change history? Are you kidding me? That's not smart! That's absolutely stupid! If you change history, who knows what you'll do to the time stream!" Billy retorted, giving the teen a look of pure disbelief.

"It's no big deal Billy. Really--."

"No! You don't get it. You change history, you change everything. Everything Nathaniel and not just your own damned personal history. For all you know, you could do something that makes all of us cease to exist!" Billy snapped, glaring at the brunette so much that the boy paled at the sight of it. "Now do you really want that on your conscience?"

"And you know all this how?" Teddy asked, a little confused and probably scared for his life now that Billy was showing more of himself than usual.

"Sci-fi films usually help." Billy grumbled, using a finger to point an accusing finger at the teen. "So don't try to feed us the 'it's no big deal' bull crap."

Nathaniel let out a hollow laugh. The teen looked absolutely miserable. "I can't convince you otherwise can I?"

"Hell no. and trying to run away won't help any either. Kang, your older self rather, knows you're here and he won't stop looking until he's found you. Or me it seems." Billy muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "Mostly because he said something about a plan before I tried to blow him up."

This made all in the room perk up, Nathaniel especially. "A plan? Did he say anything else? Anything at all about what he meant?"

"No, only that I was messing with his plans and that he was going to make sure I didn't do much else. And then I made the sidewalk turn into a dust cloud. I was too busy trying not to freak out too much at that point. Then he found me a few blocks away." He said, pointing a thumb at Teddy, who was still standing a little ways behind him.

Teddy nodded, wearing a ghostly smirk of relief. "Freaked as hell no less but thankfully in one piece when I found him. But that doesn't mean we still don't have a problem."

"Yeah. We've gotta figure out what to do when Kang shows up. I mean, are we even strong enough to take him on?" Cassie couldn't help but ask, her own fear trickling into her voice as she spoke.

Hoping to reassure the blonde girl, Nathaniel took her hand, looking her in the eye as he did. "Maybe, maybe not but I still think we have a chance. And only if we work together."

Ignoring the moment of sentimentality like it didn't exist, Kate stepped forward to cut in the most motherly voice she could manage. "We should probably head back to school before too many people notice that we're missing. For all we know, some of them might put two and two together."

A few of them couldn't help but smile. Kate could be a real reality breaker sometimes but they didn't mind. Teddy could live with the girl breaking things up as he faced the teen who was his biggest concern. "That's a bit unlikely but I guess we really should head back. Billy, will you be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine." Billy grumbled, rolling his eyes at the question. "I just won't be going outside while there's a maniac from the future flying around, hoping capture his younger self and kill me. Whichever one comes first."

"Good to know you still have a sense of humor." Kate said in a serious voice, her pretty face twisted into a slight scowl. "Are you sure you don't want one of us to stay behind? At least one of us can skip to stick around."

"No, no and no. You guys just go. I think it's safe to say that as long as one Kang knows where I am, then it's safe to say that both can't know at the same time." He said, very determined not to be treated like a little kid. His parents did that enough when he was still living with them. "Even though technically they're two completely different people now, I'd rather not push my chances on this."

Nathaniel couldn't help but nod in agreement. Billy did have a good point. "That almost didn't make sense, but he has a point. Kang and I are two different versions of each other. So far it seems, that because his version is still intact, he isn't able to pick up on anything I learn or remember. For now, Kang really is in the dark about what's going on."

"Now that makes sense. We should all lay low for now. Captain America should be here soon. Hopefully he's up to watching Billy for us." Eli mumbled, already sounding like he was ready to leave.

"Who is still standing _right here!_ I'm not a child you know." Billy growled at them, hands sparking tiny jolts of blue lightning.

The sparks vanished when Teddy's human hand landed on his shoulder, blue eyes looking into his, instantly calming the teen. "Yeah but you're our teammate, and you are staying right here where we know that you're safe and out of harm's way. I'll stick around if I have to."

"But you--." Billy began to say, only for Teddy to cut him off.

"I know, I know. But I can take a few absences. Even if it's for your sake, whether you like it or not. That and this is my house. I'll just have my mom call the school and tell them that she needed to pull me out for a personal matter."

Beaming at this rather unanimous decision, Kate wrapped her arms around Cassie and Nathaniel's shoulders and pushing them both towards the door. "Then it's settled, you two stay here while we head back. We should all stay low until we know for sure that Kang isn't roaming around. Then tonight, we'll make sure that training continues as planned."

"Are you sure that's wise? Kang can still pop up whenever he wants." Teddy asked, his concern growing further.

"Yeah but he can't stay here forever. He knows I'm in this time period, but he doesn't know exactly where. I can easily make him think I've gone to another city or two just to throw him off." Nathaniel said coolly, despite being forced to lean slightly under Kate's arm.

"What about the Growing Man? He's bound to show up any day now." Cassie asked in turn, her voice a little muffled by Kate's overbearing grip.

"One step at a time, we gotta walk before we can run." Nathaniel was somehow able to say as Kate dragged him and Cassie to the door, Eli not far behind. Before he was literally dragged through the threshold, he was able to add on last thing. "Teddy, keep him indoors will you?"

"Sir yes sir." Teddy said with a mock salute as the front door shut, making him turn his attention back to Billy, a confident smirk on his face. "Hear that? Direct orders from the man himself."

Billy just rolled his eyes again, sitting down on the couch with his arms crossed. He wasn't very pleased with being seen as weak. "Haha, very funny Altman. Why not just go back to school like everybody else? I don't exactly plan on going anywhere."

"That's only half the reason Billy. Why did you leave to begin with?" Teddy asked, his voice soft with sincere concern as he sat down next to the raven haired teen.

Not helping but look away, Billy was having trouble finding the words to describe exactly what he'd been doing before Kang crashed his plans. Rubbing the back of his neck, Billy kept his gaze on the floor. "I … I just needed to get some air okay? Being indoors all day, it got a little boring. And… I guess I wanted to see my family."

Teddy winced in understanding. Now that Billy was thinking clearly for the first time in who knew how long, it was typical for someone to want to return to the familiar. But the fact that Billy would leave without telling him? That hurt more than it should have. "Why? I know that they're your family but… you're a missing person remember? Don't you think that just walking up to them would be a little weird?"

Billy's brown eyes came flying into view, probably having sensed his pain, the boy's eyes clearly showing regret and hints of sadness. "I know! I just… even if it was from a distance, I wanted to see them." He was looking away again, bringing his knees to his chest as he curled up on the couch. "I guess... I just wanted to see if they were actually worried about me."

"I'm pretty sure they're worried sick about you." Teddy said soothingly, placing a hand on Billy's head and used a thumb the push a few of the boy's bangs out of his face. "What kind of parent wouldn't be? But I'm guessing being greeted by Kang wasn't part of the plan was it?"

Billy was shaking his head again, unable to decide whether his gaze should be on the floor or on Teddy. "No, definitely not. It was like… he'd just popped into existence. I didn't even notice him until I turned around. I-I don't even know how he came to be there."

Teddy didn't hesitate to let his hand slid down until it rested on Billy's shoulder, making him lean so that they were in an awkward hug, Teddy's nose resting in the boy's hair. "It's okay Billy. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt. You were smart to retreat."

"More like run away." Billy grumbled, scoffing mostly to himself. "I could've taken him but… I guess my experience with bullies just won't go away."

"Well, if he shows up to take your lunch money, I'll be there to get it back. Okay?" the blonde asked, smiling into Billy's hair only for Billy to tilt his head to look him in the eye.

"Okay now you're just trying to cheer me up." he growled, sounding almost suspicious of what the blonde was attempting to do.

"But you're making it so easy!" said blonde muttered, smiling a devilish smile as he let his nose come to rest on Billy's fairly exposed neck.

He would've kept going if Billy's hand didn't suddenly plant itself in the middle of his face, effectively pushing the blonde up and off of him, nervous sarcasm coating Billy's voice as he spoke. "Down boy. We don't want to start that up right now. I'd hate to make the great Captain America uncomfortable when he busts in."

Teddy deflated, having completely forgotten that his friends had called for the big guns for fear that Kang was still wandering around. _Damn._ He thought as he rose to his feet instead, the devil's smile becoming almost angelic in nature. "Good point. Have you eaten yet? It was almost lunch time when I left school. And the stuff they serve is never very edible to begin with anyway."

"I could use something to chew on." Billy said with a shrug, uncurling himself to stand as well, giving Teddy a matter-of-fact sort of look. "I was planning on coming back here in the first place."

"Seriously Billy, when I saw that dust cloud and I put the pieces together, I really did think that something bad had happened to you. That you were hurt, maybe even--." Teddy cut himself off. He didn't want to go any further, even if he really wanted to.

Billy winced in sympathy, leading the way towards the kitchen. "Let's not discuss that right now. Captain America and Iron Man are just going to interrogate me when they get here anyway."

Teddy chuckled, following suit. "Sorry. I just got really worried you know? I guess I can't help but think that the worst could've happened to you."

"Well let's be glad that it didn't. And are you sure that your mom won't be mad at you skipping school? I know my mom would skin me alive." Billy muttered as he took his place at the counter stool as Teddy did his usual job of raiding the fridge. "Possibly after my dad charbroiled me and left me for the birds."

This time Teddy laughed at the thought but sobered a little at Billy's annoyed glare. "I'm pretty sure Billy. My mom can be a pretty easy going person. She'll have me play 'Twenty Questions' but I'm sure she'll be cool with it."

Billy chuckled at the pun. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it then."

As if on cue, the front door burst open, Steve Rogers, flustered and anxious came through soon followed by a more cool be very serious Tony Stark. Steve was very apprehensive since the first words out of his mouth were. "Billy! Teddy! Are you here?"

"Yeah, and apparently my door doesn't exist." Teddy called, successfully making himself sound deadpan as the two senior heroes came in to find the two boys calmly lounging the room.

"Sorry Teddy. We came as fast as we could." Steve said bashfully, looking as guilty as he sounded as his blue eyes gave Billy a quick scan for injuries. He relaxed a little when he found none. But only a little as Tony leaned against the door jamb, watching quietly.

_We see that._ Billy thought but almost dared not to say it aloud. The fact he was seen as the weak link was getting a little irritating. "We see that. The others already left. I'm fine as you can plainly see."

"That we do. But it's still our concern Billy." Tony finally said with a hearty chuckle, Steve giving the raven haired teen a rather surprised look, before Tony turned his attention over to Teddy standing in front of the fridge. "And why aren't you in school?"

Teddy chuckled, shrugging sheepishly under the man's gaze, strengthened further by Steve also giving him the same questioning look. "I was but when I felt the explosion and saw the dust, I had to do something. Besides, I can always catch up to what I missed."

"Hm. Either way, we shouldn't leave Billy by himself."

"Will everyone stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Billy growled a bit too angrily, blue sparks flashing from his fingertips, the blue telltale glow of his eyes coming to life as the two heroes gave him looks of pure surprise and shock. "I get that you're concerned and I get that you want to protect me but _I_ think that _I_ have a _say_ in all this."

"Did we miss something?" Steve asked cautiously, his instincts already telling him that leaving the room was a good idea.

Teddy just sniggered his sympathy to the two men. They had no idea just what it was that they missed. Not that he was going to tell them. "Yeah, you kinda did. I've got it covered. I'll call you if something else happens. Otherwise, we gather at the grounds like always."

Almost immediately Tony gave the blonde teen a suspicious look. "You're sure that's all we're going to do?"

"Pretty sure. You might want to ask Nathaniel about it though." Teddy said nodding as he guided the two men back out the door and on with their lives.

As Teddy came back into the room to continue his search for edible food, it was Billy's turn to question him about what just happened. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"Tell them what?" Teddy asked, obviously playing the dumb card.

Billy wasn't in the mood for being fooled. Not today anyway. "That Nathaniel has been lying about who he is and that this is bigger than any of us put together?"

"Ah, that." The blonde muttered after a moment, not turning to face the boy behind him.

"Yes _that_. I thought for sure that you'd spill the beans as soon as they got here." Billy snapped, sounding just a little too angry than he was. He cursed himself, rubbing his temples for letting his annoyance become rage.

Teddy finally turned to face him, giving him a look of sympathy and what looked like honest hesitation. "I don't like messing with other people's business. I'm willing to keep secrets but not without good reasons."

"Just like you kept that secret from me." Billy said, his voice slightly hollow.

Teddy winced. Like he needed a reminder of what he'd been asked specifically not to do but did anyway. "Yeah kinda. We don't know when the Growing Man is coming back or if he's going to go straight for you but… we don't want to chance it."

Billy quirked an eyebrow at this statement, clearly questioning such motives. "I see. So keeping me in the dark was the only solution?"

The blonde sighed, leaning against the countertop, Billy watching him closely. There was just no avoiding this conversation. When he looked up, it was to look the other boy right in the eyes. "And getting you ready for well… anything. We all know you're not weak Billy. You just need help learning how to use your abilities so that you can avoid doing what your mind is so set on making you think you're capable of doing."

Billy paled. He knew exactly what Teddy was talking about and he was already fighting down a wave of images accompanied by smells and sounds created by a special effects lab hidden in the dark recesses of his brain. Teddy's hand on his shaking one brought him back to find bright blue eyes seeking his own brown ones.

"I know that today isn't exactly ideal for saying this but I won't lie: there will be things we keep from you, for your sense of mind but… if push comes to shove, I will tell you what you need to know. Until then, we need to get you in shape." Billy was about to look away, but Teddy had to reach forward to keep the boy's gaze locked on his. "And I don't mean in the physical sense. These dreams… I can't help you get rid of them unless you tell me what they are. Then all you have to do is leave the rest to me. That's all."

"You won't like what you hear." Billy whispered. Just the thought of them was making him sick. He hoped that Teddy would move on already.

But Teddy pressed on, determined to make his point. "Same for you. We all have things hidden away. Some more horrible than most but, gods in heaven Billy, if I have to listen to whatever garbage your mind is showing you, then I'll deal with it. I'll probably look disgusted or want to throw up but that doesn't mean I won't try to help you in whatever way I can."

Billy just laughed, the noise hollow and humorless as brown eyes met blue. "Then maybe you can be here to be sure I don't try to break your window again."

"Yeah. I'll definitely be around to prevent that from happening."

Finishing their meals and cleaning up their mess, the two boys resolved themselves to spending the rest of the day in quiet practice of Billy's skills. The raven haired teen even went as far as getting the furniture to switch places before switching it all back. Ms. Altman would have quite a few questions about why her living room had been rearranged without her knowledge, much less her consent. And this time, Billy was able to do it without overreacting or freaking out by sending something flying into a wall, or a window. One could definitely assume that Teddy's presence had something to do with it. Later that day, when Ms. Altman came home, she may as well have cornered her son and Billy and threatened them with a yard stick with her constant and obviously worried questioning. But she only pinned them to their seats with her eyes, asked a few direct questions, and left the rest for later.

The two spent the rest of the evening practicing, helped Teddy's mother help as well as eat dinner for the first time as a group. The thought of eating with more than just himself or Teddy tugged at Billy's heart, his memories of how his parents would pester him about his day and how his brothers would try to fling their food at him with their spoons. But instead of flying food and overly educated adults hoping to analyze his life through his words, Billy let himself feel at ease for being a part of a family again. Even if that family wasn't exactly his own.

--_**Meanwhile, With Tommy**_—

It took a few states and a few wrecked buildings for Tommy to realize that the Growing Man wasn't planning on slowing down. He'd been moving at what seemed more like a steady jog rather than the flat-out run that he appeared to be at, with Tommy moving steadily alongside to make sure that it didn't go too fast. Tommy was never one for listening to the requests, or orders, of others, but in this case he was willing to forgo his usual rebellious behavior if it meant the safety of his teammates. For just a few more hours, maybe even a day. He'd try to make the damned thing take a year to show up if he tried hard enough. But even Tommy knew he didn't have that kind of energy, much less an attention span that would suffice to doing nothing but hold off a man the size of a small apartment building. His attempts to slow it down further were now proving fruitless since it wouldn't stay still long enough to allow Tommy the chance to blow up one of its feet. That and the way it was swinging its arms at him, hoping to swat him away like a fly, was proof enough he was only making the big guy angry. Or he was just proving to be annoying. Either way, all he could really do now was keep an eye on it until it came within spitting distance of the city. Then he'd had to hightail his high speed ass to Nathaniel. And quite hopefully, a brother who knew exactly who he was, that he existed, and that were kinda, sorta related.

This brought Tommy briefly to what his supposed sibling's home life had been like compared to his. His, by far, had probably sucked him in the history of sucking. His dad had been a bit of a drunk while his mom…. Well he wasn't about to start thinking about her. It was safe to assume that up until he was around nine that life had been good. Then something happened that his parents either didn't want to talk about, couldn't remember or were too fucked up to even try and recall. This of course, led Tommy to start acting out. Naturally hoping for the attention of his, now he knew to be adoptive, parents, relatives and anyone he deemed important enough to even know he existed. Though, if you're twelve years old, in the backyard by yourself and you're kinda starting to hate that old toy you hoped your parents tossed a few years back and, by pure chance, you somehow make it explode in your hands, this usually sparks something. In other kids, it would've sparked something remotely close to freaking the fuck out and running inside like your hands are made of C4. Or TNT. Whichever one's more volatile. Or, in others, mostly likely that cheap-ass, evil scientist gone made laugh that you always hear in the old movies that's _supposed_ to send fear down the spines of the viewers.

But not Tommy. Oh no, not him. His reaction was a bit more… reclusive. Instead of making a scene that his hated toy was now scattered, in pieces, across the lawn, Tommy stared at his hand in awe. Even his young adult mind knew that something like this wasn't normal, and there was no way he'd come from space. His parents had been clear that they'd gotten him at an orphanage a few towns over and left it at that. So for Tommy, there was no getting up to run around and scream, no excited cries of astonishment at the discovery. Instead, the freaking out and excitement threw a party in his white blonde head. The ability to slay things with this new power went through his mind just briefly. Even he wasn't dumb enough to try and kill anything, something, or someone, and hoped to get away with it. Cop shows and seeing people getting arrested was education enough. But that wouldn't be enough to stop him. Oh hell no. Tommy was going to test out this new skill to the fullest. Whether society liked it or not.

For the next few years, Tommy spent most of his time after school testing out just what it was he was capable of. Super speed came in handy once he knew just how fast he could go, and that running on water was plausible. It defied the laws of physics a little but Tommy didn't really care. This only added a plus to his super powered status. This along with the ability to blow things to pieces at will. That was a major plus in his world. All was going pretty damn well, up until high school. He'd only been there probably less than three months, and he blew the place to Kingdom Come. Not on purpose, or so he told the police as they escorted his scorched self to the 'juvenile facility' he'd be spending the next few months in. then, five months later, almost like frickin' clockwork, his saviors came in the form of an Iron Man mini lookalike. Not that he wasn't grateful to the guy for getting him out. Nah, he was just pissed that he'd been stuck in a fuckin' box for so damn long. Anger he quickly expressed before Iron Lad could actually stop him.

That is until Captain America stepped in. he wasn't too pleased at Tommy's release but allowed it because he was a helpful 'asset'. Or so he believed the term to be. Even though he wasn't deemed sane by the local authorities, Tommy wasn't exactly one to go against his word or loyalties to others. If Iron Lad and his buddies needed help, then by the powers he was all too willing to use, he'd give them a hand. Which led his thoughts back to what he was supposed to be doing at the moment.

From what he could see from the terrain, they had likely come to be in a small town area in New Jersey. And since the Growing Man wasn't stopping, it was safe to assume that getting into gear was in order. He could only hope that he arrived under the best of circumstances to give the very bad news of the day. Taking a deep breath and facing due northwest, Tommy let his legs warm themselves, and was gone in a shot. Anyone who'd been around would've seen him, and then not. Almost like a magic act, only without the dumbass hand motions and annoying wave of a cloth over the object in question. Super speed was way cooler than that.

--_**At The Avenger's Manor**_—

The night was just starting and the Young Avengers and their senior overseers were starting it like they had for the past few days: practice and matches. Jessica Jones, despite being pregnant, sent her condolences for not being able to show up. Mostly because her rather protective teammates had forbid her to show in case she either got in the line of fire or her water broke. Neither of which the two men were willing to risk. Even men could be fairly clueless to the workings of an ongoing pregnancy. That and the closest hospital was almost ten blocks away from the mansion's rather decrepit remains. Though her doctors had said that there was still time before she gave birth, Jessica finally caved in to their urgings. Letting a pregnant woman roam around while super powered teens trained was never a really good idea.

So far, Billy had proven to be better than even he anticipated. Doing more than one thing at once was proving easier, whether he was on the ground or in the air. And after accidently hitting Kate just a little too hard, they found he was capable of being a good medic. Once he was done saying his usual ten thousand apologies, Teddy and Captain America were able to convince him to try his hand at it. The attempt proved successful, though Billy wanted to run off and hide somewhere, even after Kate gave him a hug of her thanks. But like most times, their practice sessions were cut short by the sound of Iron Lad's radio link going off, signaling that the police were reacting to something bigger than they could probably handle. Usually Billy and Teddy stayed behind with Kate, Cassie or Eli to keep practicing. But tonight was different: Billy refused to stay behind.

Teddy gave Billy a concerned look as they stood gathered at the manor gates. He knew that Billy would get impatient but he didn't think it would be so soon. "You do realize that this won't be a practice or a simulation right?"

"I do. Which is why I'm going. I can't stay on the sidelines forever." He said, his voice probably harder than cold steel. They could see it in his eyes. Billy wasn't going to wait around anymore. He needed a real test.

"I've got your back if you've got mine." Teddy said, smiling while placing a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

Billy smiled back. "Ditto."

Dutifully ignoring the moment of sentimentality between the two, Iron Lad turned to the rest of the group. "Then it's settled. Captain, if you'd be so kind as to lead the way?"

Taking his cue, the Captain nodded in response. "Of course. Avengers? Move out!"

Wordlessly and with expressions of pure serious intent, they were up in the air and over the city, seeking out the source of the foul human behavior. Those who couldn't fly were carried or simply held on for dear life. Eli held on tight to Kate, who was ignoring her girlish urges by watching the streets down below, Billy holding on to Teddy as he only held the blonde up by the back of his sleeveless top while Cassie hitched her ride with Iron Lad. Out in front, like always, happened to be Captain America and Iron Man, side by side in the air over the brightly lit city as people either rose for their jobs or went to bed. Others, as they found, were up to no good. A problem they were going personally to fix, if not for the next few nights, possibly for the next few years.

Arriving quickly, they found that their job was simple: go in, get the bad guys and come back out without harming any possible hostages. Usually this was considered easier said than done. But confidence had a way of making things either going smoothly or like a bad day, served and done over easy with soggy fries on the side and no beverage worth the time to wash it all down your throat. Thankfully, breaking in and dealing with the perps went like most rescues do: they try to fight back with all they've got. That is until they either get punched, shot or shocked into submission. And tonight was no exception. After ten minutes of quick maneuvering and well-aimed shots of arrows, lightning and fists, the situation had been easily resolved. Getting out however, proved a bit of a challenge. Mostly because the press had gathered to get some up close pictures of them as they were taking their leave.

Almost by instinct, Billy hid behind Teddy in the hopes that the green teen would hide him from the cameras. The last thing he wanted was his face in the paper and all over the city like a 'most wanted' sign. Especially since he was still very much a missing person and would probably draw a lot of attention to who he really was. In front of him, Teddy chuckled as Kate pulled him to the side, a kind smile on her face above the din of anxious question and flashing lights.

Her voice seemed to rise above all the others, keeping Billy's spinning mind focused on what he needed to do in order to leave. "C'mon Wiccan. It's time to fly away."

His face was blank at first before twisting in his confusion as they flew away from the people and lights, the same question going over and over in his head before he finally voiced his silent inquiry. "Wiccan?"

From next to Iron Lad, Cassie let out a childish laugh that almost didn't suit her. "It's your name. Do you like it?"

"I don't hate it." Billy finally said after a moment.

"Maybe I should change my name. 'Hulkling' is getting to be a little old." Teddy said from under Billy, his voice thoughtful above the light whistling of the night wind.

"Façade? Edifice?" Billy asked after a few moments, smirking at Teddy's face soured at the thought of such an odd codename.

"Being 'Hulkling' is starting to sound better and better."

A few chuckles echoed through the air, Billy's seeming to be the loudest to the blonde before he spoke up again. "You do have a habit of making yourself like a bit like the guy."

Teddy laughed in turn, shrugging at the statement. "That's true. But I can't help but wonder what'll happen if I turn myself purple."

"Oh gods please don't. You do that and I'll drop you." Billy warned, casually avoided a small water tower atop an apartment complex. Almost as if to get his point across.

The blonde let out an audible gulp. He didn't want to get dropped. The drop itself was fine and landing wasn't an issue. It was what he landed on that worried him. "Point taken."

"So what's the plan? Beat up some more bad guys? Go back to the manor and finish up practice or break it up for the night?" Billy called out, truly curious about their future plans of action. Mostly because they didn't exactly have time to discuss it before leaving the scene due to the press as well as the police.

This immediately sparked a healthy discussion on the rest of the night before a reasonable hour to head home until they noticed that Iron Lad was gazing off at something. Coming to fly alongside Kate and Eli, Cassie quickly shrunk herself down to the size of a cat as she was handed off to them. "I'll catch up with you guys. I thought I saw something."

"You sure? Do you want one of us to go with you?" Kate asked as the blonde heroine came to sit on her shoulder, both girls showing signs of concern for the teen.

Not even his helmet could hide the casual smirk he gave them as he shook his head, hoping he could sound convincing. "Nah. Go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

--_**With Nathaniel**_—

Watching his friends leave before calmly landing on an apartment building roof a little ways away from the street, Nathaniel removed his helmet to gaze at Tommy Shepherd with his own two eyes. He wasn't surprised to see the white haired teen, but from his expression, Tommy could tell he wasn't exactly happy to see him either. But there would be time of displeasure later. As proven by Tommy's oddly grim expression.

Ignoring the expression by giving the boy a displeased look of his own, he spoke in a stern voice that said he meant business. "What is it Tommy? Why aren't you watching the Growing Man?"

"That's the thing! There's no need to. He's coming this way right now." Tommy exclaimed, obviously wanting to shout it out. But he was sure the others would bash his head in if they found out he was responsible for causing a citywide panic.

Nathaniel growled in annoyance, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We knew that alre--."

"No you don't get it. He's here. And he's coming, right now." Tommy snapped at him, glaring through his orange glasses at the boy. They didn't have time to be arguing.

This got Nathaniel's attention, making him look up in horrified shock. "What? Since when?"

Tommy scoffed, crossing his arms in irritation. "Since like… five minutes ago dude! You have no idea how long I've been trying to find you guys."

"Where was he last when you were with him?" Nathaniel half demanded, pure business.

Tommy shrugged, looking truly uncertain. "New Jersey, in a small town, I don't know. Probably on the edge of the water, one of the bays maybe but I can go back and ask him if he's going to use a bridge or not. I don't know if he can swim but he didn't waste any time getting here."

Nathaniel simply started pacing, trying to think of something, anything that could turn the situation in their favor. "He should've been here maybe a day or so ago. Why? Did you do something?"

"Well, I did what I did best but you know… he kept on growing it back! Gosh darn. If only I'd thought of that." Tommy said, his voice dripping dry sarcasm. "What do you think I did? Sat on my ass and did nothing?"

The brunette shook off the boy's tone. Now wasn't the time for this. "That seems more your style but now isn't the time to be arguing. You go back and try to slow it down some more. I'll go tell the others."

"And Billy?"

A silence stretched between them, Nathaniel giving the teen a look of regret. "Yeah… we still haven't told him about you yet. He found out about the Growing Man, but not much else."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to tell him are you?"

Nathaniel sighed. It'd been a long night and now it was going to be even longer. "Tommy now isn't the time for this. We need to focus on what's important, and that's the safety of the people in this city. Can you focus on that?"

"Yeah, I can." He said, his voice cold and bitter, blue eyes hidden behind orange glasses glancing dangerously at the other boy. "But we're not done here."

In seconds Tommy was gone, leaving the teen in his dust. He stood there a moment before putting his helmet back on in preparation for flight. "I figured as much."

--_**Meanwhile, Back At The Manor**_—

Upon returning, the group of heroes decided it was best not to waste time by going home early so they decided to continue their previous activities instead. Billy, now known by his new friends as Wiccan, was flying through the air with Teddy in his grip as they tag teamed against Eli and Kate. So far it was proving a challenge with Eli being able to fly and Kate happened to be a very, very capable markswoman. But despite this obvious presence of danger, Billy was proving calm in the midst of it all as he spoke to the blonde dangling in his grip.

"What's taking Nathaniel so long? And who was he talking to?"

"I don't know. It's not like him to go off like that." Teddy said between tossing well aimed and long distance punches at Eli as Billy made sure to avoid Kate's arrows. "You're in the dark about this as much as we are."

Spinning to avoid another volley and almost tossing Teddy at Eli, making the dark skinned teen back off a bit, Billy just muttered. "Something doesn't feel right. I don't know what it is but… I just can't shake this feeling that something's wrong."

"Maybe it's because we were flooded in by the paparazzi. Could that be it?" Kate called up from the ground, running a little to keep up with the flying pair as she calmly cocked a few more arrows before taking aim.

Billy let out a laugh, blocking the arrows and sending them towards Eli. "Possibly. I guess it's the fact I'm seeing spots from those damn flashes. So fuckin' blinding it's ridiculous."

"You'll be fine in a minute. Just don't drop me." Teddy warned from underneath him, giving the ground a somewhat anxious look.

The teen scoffed, suddenly making Teddy a little uneasy. "Says Mr. I-Want-To-Be-Purple. It's not as bad as it was a minute ago."

"Left. LEFT!" the blonde shouted, Billy barrel rolling to avoid some more arrows, leaving Teddy feeling a little sick to his stomach. "Yeah, I see that."

"Good save guys! C'mon down for now." Kate suddenly called up to them, making them stop and look down at her.

"Switching out?" Eli called back. Billy bit down a chuckle at his tone of voice. The teen was still a little bitter about getting hit by fists that shouldn't have been able to reach him.

"Break and then switch. Hurry up! Cassie brought snacks." Kate said smiling, waving them down. Muttering something under his breath, Eli didn't hesitate to zoom down, though Billy's descent was a bit more composed.

He almost didn't notice the dark shadow that somehow came into existence behind him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Even though he'd already sensed the guy a few moments before, he hadn't wanted to believe it. Until now. But there was no doubt about who it was. In a split-second snap decision, Billy quickly took hold of the back of Teddy's shirt, and tossed him down to the ground just in time for the Growing Man's giant fist to roughly snatch him out of the air.

"_**BILLY!!!**_" he heard Teddy practically scream, his voice filled with the two things he'd almost not expected to hear: fear and surprise. Mostly fear that he was in the villain's rather monstrous grip. A grip that was making it fairly hard to breathe properly, much less move well enough to slip out like most people are capable of doing.

Gasping against the Growing Man's crushing grasp and turning around well enough to face his large foe, Billy let his eyes start to glow as he snarled at his captor. "So you want a piece of me?"

The Growing Man didn't say anything except stare down at him, almost as if unsure that what he had in his hand was indeed why he'd been sent so far away. But then again, he probably didn't care since he had the kid now, and he was going to do what he wanted. Only problem was, Billy and Friends weren't exactly going to let him do that.

Billy's expression darkened as his hands became enclosed in orbs of light and blue lightning, taking the villain's silence as a 'yes'. _No choice now I guess._ He thought as he let the necessary energy gather, hoping it would be enough to fuel his rather impromptu plan that would give him and his friends the upper hand. As his face twisted into an angry snarl, Billy finally spoke up again. "Okay, fine. _YOU GOT ME!!_"

In a brilliant display of light and power, Billy sent a large charge of electricity up the Growing Man's arm in the hopes it would be enough to make the man let go. Much to even his surprise, it did quite the opposite: instead of letting go, all it did was make the giant mechanical man let out a dull but loud roar of pain. As well as send his large fist towards the ground, with Billy still in it. Letting out a pained gasp against the suddenly tighter grip, Billy didn't have time to register he was about to be bashed against the ground. Not until it was just about to happen, just when it was too late.

The last thing Billy felt was white hot pain as the side of his head came in contact with the cold, hard ground, making the lights from cameras seem like nothing. Just before blacking out and losing all consciousness, Billy could barely hear the cries of Cassie and Kate as they angrily attacked the giant man or that of Teddy as he screamed questions at him. Yelling his name over and over, asking him if he was okay until he couldn't hear the blonde's voice ringing out into the night anymore.

Teddy hadn't expected to be tossed, or for even the boy to let him go only to be grabbed out of the air like a bird hit by a stone. Once his blue eyes took in such an image, his heart stopped, and his blood froze in his veins. In the few seconds he had to think it over, he realized why Nathaniel had left them. He'd gone to talk to Tommy… and about the Growing Man. Why he hadn't pieced it together earlier was something he could kick himself for later. Right now, his main focus was Billy. As he fell, his brain as well as time seemed to catch up with him, his mouth opening before he could even control what came out.

"_**BILLY!!!**_" he heard himself scream, the shock of Billy's decision, as well as the fear of the teen getting hurt, echoing in his voice. Normally he'd keep such thing to himself, mostly because the others were present but right now he didn't care. His main concern was Billy. And nothing could change his mind.

As the tall monstrosity raised his fist to look at Billy more closely, it soon found out that snatching him up was a bad idea. Mostly because the teen was starting to glow brightly, so much to the point Teddy thought that the damn thug had caught a star in its grip. Landing easily before getting his balance in order to head back at a dead run, he barely registered Billy yelling something to his captor before he was nearly blinded by a huge discharge of blue lightning, the voltage traveling up the monster's arm. Instead of letting go, as was the likely intent, all the giant man did was let out a roar of pain and send his fist towards the ground.

That was when time really did stop for Teddy. He was still too far away to do anything, to prevent the one guy in the world he cared about from getting hurt. Somewhere behind him, his friends were close but no closer than he was. Cassie had made herself the same size as Growing Man, with Kate and Captain America on her shoulders. Eli and Iron Man were already in the air as he leaped into Cassie's hand. As he did so, he almost didn't notice that he was still screaming at Billy.

"BILLY?!? Billy can you hear me?! Answer me! Are you okay? _**BILLY?!!**_" he heard himself say, sounding desperate for a response when his mind kept telling he wouldn't get one. Not after a hit like that.

"I'm on it Teddy!" Kate called, knocking five arrows at the Growing Man's fist, each one either bouncing off or digging past cloth into… whatever the guy was made of. That and coupled with the electric shock and Cassie giving him a well-placed right hook to the jaw, this was apparently enough to get him to let go. Teddy didn't hesitate to jump out of Cassie's left to fly through the air to grab Billy's lifeless form, bits of dirt still in his hair as some of it was mixing in a thin layer of blood that was slowly making its way down the side of his face. The sight of the dark liquid made Teddy go cold. Cradling the boy in his arms, Teddy righted himself while still in the air and landed on his feet, moving quickly to avoid both the Growing Man and Cassie's giant feet. The battle didn't mean anything to him anymore. His main focus was the boy in his arms, as he hoped to whatever gods existed that the damage wasn't serious.

Coming to stop near the edge of the mansion walls, Teddy finally took a closer look at Billy, silently grateful that none of his fears had come true. Quickly changing back to his human form, Teddy used two of his fingers to check for a pulse, his subconsciously held breath releasing itself from his lungs when he found it. Tilting the boy's head to take a better look at the cause of the bleeding, Teddy was relieved further to find that it was just a small cut that was already drying up, leaving a drying mass of blood in his hair. The mere force and inertia of the blow had only made it seem worse than it really was. If not for the circumstances, Teddy could swear that Billy was just sleeping. But the blood and dirt was a dead giveaway, making him see the reality of things. Unless he found an aid kit, the cut was likely to get infected. And he didn't want to think about what else might've occurred when the boy had been smashed into the ground. Shaking such thoughts out of his mind, Teddy sat down amongst the bushes, hoping that Billy would wake up soon.

Nathaniel knew that the Growing Man was likely to be in the city, but he wasn't prepared for him to be at the mansion so soon. And from the way his friends were trying to beat him down, something must've happened while he was talking to Tommy. With the help of the helmet's advanced technology, Nathaniel was able to do a quick head count, only to find that two of his team members' were missing. _If not there then where…?_ He thought, quickly scanning the grounds in search of them. After a few seconds, he found them, huddled against a side of the mansion, away from the fighting. And they weren't moving.

_Oh no._ Fearing the worst had happened, Nathaniel was quick to land nearby before running over, using memory to locate the two boys. He'd be damned if he was somehow responsible for them getting hurt or killed. The first thing his eyes came across was Teddy's bright blonde hair amidst the shadows, his back against the wall and his face hidden by shadow and hair as he cradled and obviously unconscious Billy in his arms. Looking up, Nathaniel felt his heart tug a little at the look the blonde was giving him. Relief and pain filled his blue eyes, his voice somehow rising above the sounds of battle.

"Please tell me you've got an aid kit or something in that suit of yours."

He winced. Even after all this time he hadn't found out all that his armor was capable of doing. But he wasn't about to admit that. Instead, he gave the blonde his most reassuring smile. "I'm not sure but I think I still might be able to help."

Teddy just nodded. "Anything. Just… just tell me he's going to be okay."

"It looks like he just got hit a little too hard." Nathaniel stated, making a quick scan of Billy's head, hoping it could do what he wanted it to. "What happened?"

"W-we were in the middle of training. Then Growing Man over there came out of nowhere and tried to crush him but when Billy tried to… oh god he--." Teddy didn't want to keep going. Even thinking about it was making him choke up.

The blonde was brought back to the present by Nathaniel placing a hand on his shoulder, looking him right in the eye. "Calm down Teddy. Whatever he did, it wasn't enough to cause any permanent damage. He'll just be out for a while, I'm sure. Okay?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah. I hope you're right."

"He'll be fine Teddy. I'm positive." Nathaniel glanced at the fight going on only thirty feet away. Looking back, his grip on Teddy's shoulder tightened. "Stay here okay?"

The blonde's expression hardened, though the pain remained in his tearing eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

Nodding wordlessly, Nathaniel quickly made his way towards the spot where his friends were fighting hard to pin the mechanical giant to the ground. So far, all they'd done was make him more determined to finish what he started. Cassie was doing her best to get a good grip on the man's arms so as to pin them to his sides, Eli and Iron Man were working hard on either bending his knees or at least getting him to tip over. And Kate… well Kate was making shot after shot into the giant's eyes. Or at least his face in general, as she aimed one after another at him, hoping to distract him well enough to act as an aid in taking him down. And so far, things weren't going as well as they'd hoped.

"Where is the master?" the Growing Man boomed, somehow ignoring the heroes trying their best to take him down.

Spotting his approach, Cassie called out to him. "Nathaniel! How's Billy?"

"He's fine. He just needs to wake up." he called back, firing several shots at the giant man in a bid to help.

But this only made him even more determined as he pushed back against Cassie and his various assailants. "Where is the master!?"

"I think he wants his master!" Eli yelled angrily from below.

_That does it._ Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. This had to end before things got any worse, and before another one of his friends got hurt. "Here I am. I am your master! I am Kang the Conqueror!!"

As if on cue, the giant monstrosity fell still, making Cassie cautiously remove her grip on him to watch him warily. Only for him to tilt his head skyward and send a beam of light into the sky, accompanied by an odd noise. As he did so, he also seemed to vanish, leaving the confused group by themselves on the mansion grounds.

Quickly gathering on the ground, Cassie was the first to practically jump Nathaniel. "Do you realize what you just did?"

"Yeah. I can't run away anymore. I have to face him." He said, taking off his helmet, his expression disturbingly grim.

An uneasy silence fell over them, before Kate finally spoke up, concern shadowing in the eyes of his comrades. "We can still hide you! You still have a shot at staying who you are!"

"I can't. I need to deal with this." He said with a shake of his head, turning his gaze to the two senior heroes. "With or without your help."

Well this has gotten pretty intense. Sorry to all who've been waiting for this but it took a bit longer than I planned. But thankfully it's as long as I was hoping so that's a plus. But like always, I'm going to be right on top of the next chapter so you guys shouldn't have to wait more than a week. Maybe less. Depending on how focused I am. Right? Right. Anywho, let's get things rollin' shall we? Here's what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 6: Battle Over A Soul

It's the climax! The coup de grace! The final showdown! But do our friends the Young Avengers and their more experienced counterparts stand a chance? And will Billy be able to get another crack at the future Kang? Though the question is: will Teddy let him rejoin the fight? And does Nathaniel have a chance at taking on his future alter ego? Find out when '_Vereor Ipsum_' returns for:

_**Chapter 6: Battle Over A Soul!!!**_


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